Doi:
Abstract:
Body movement sonification has gained increasing attention in rehabilitation and healthcare as a means to influence movement, and body perception. Prior research on the Footsteps Illusion demonstrated that real-time pitch manipulation of self-produced footstep sounds can alter perceived body weight and emotional responses. However, the systems used for that illusion rely on microphones that require controlled laboratory conditions, limiting their applicability in natural settings. This study introduces a novel, portable approach that employs prerecorded footstep sounds, played synchronously with walking movements and filtered to evoke sensations of lighter (high-frequency) or heavier (low-frequency) bodies. Participants walked along an indoor circuit while listening to these sounds; their responses were evaluated through self-reports and gait analysis. Results show that prerecorded, movement-triggered sounds can reproduce the perceptual and emotional effects observed in real-time sonification setups. These findings highlight the importance of auditory feedback in shaping body perception and emotional experience. The proposed system extends the Footsteps Illusion beyond the lab, opening possibilities for sound-based Body Transformation Experiences (BTEs) in diverse contexts, such as healthcare, rehabilitation, and everyday movement practices that support well-being.
