Ever caught yourself unconsciously bobbing your head or tapping your foot to a song you don’t even like? Don’t worry—you’re not secretly a fan of that cheesy pop track; it’s just science messing with you.
That natural urge to move with rhythm, whether it’s discreet toe-tapping under a desk or full-on dance floor domination, is what researchers call “groove.” And according to a new Canadian study, this instinct to move to music might be more hardwired into us than we ever realized—even in people who claim they don’t enjoy music.
Turns out, your brain processes musical pleasure and movement separately. While the ventral striatum handles the joy of music, the dorsal striatum is responsible for making you bust a move (whether you like it or not).
For those who don’t consider themselves dancers, the enjoyment of rhythmic music seems to come entirely from this movement urge. Meanwhile, music lovers get their kicks from both the groove and other musical elements.
So next time your body starts moving to the beat against your will, just blame your dorsal striatum—science says it’s not your fault!
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