Dr. Vinoo Alluri and her students Lalit Mohan and Azhagammal S C were awarded Runner-up award for their work on Sensitivity to external demands drives maladaptive music use at the 18th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC-2025) held in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 21 – 25 July. 

Here is the summary of the paper as explained by the authors Lalit Mohan, Azhagammal S C and Dr. Vinoo Alluri:
Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), a trait marked by heightened reactivity to stimuli, is linked to emotional dysregulation and stress-related problems. Its subscales include Ease of Excitation that reflects emotional sensitivity to internal and external demands, Low Sensory Threshold reflects sensory overload susceptibility, and Aesthetic Sensitivity denotes appreciation for subtleties. While music can sometimes amplify maladaptive outcomes (rumination, avoidance), SPS’s role in such behaviours, especially in non-Western contexts, remains underexplored. This study examines how SPS drives maladaptive music listening in 673 Indian adults. Network analysis and structural equation modelling revealed sensitivity to external demands elevated psychological distress which in turn predicted maladaptive music use. Reactivity to internal demands may reduce maladaptive music use but exacerbated it when mediated by external demands, reflecting preference for avoidant coping in Indian context. Findings emphasize SPS’s role in maladaptive behaviours, demonstrating how sensory reactivity interacts with traits to shape distress-driven music use as an emotional regulation mechanism.

August 2025