The research on embodied music cognition suggests that bodily states interact dynamically with auditory perception; however, the influence of passive bodily movement on melodic perception remains insufficiently explored. This study was designed to investigate whether passive movement congruent with melodic contours modulates listeners' perceptual and emotional responses to melody, which can provide a perceptual foundation for multimodal sensory integration in interactive environments. Thirty-one participants listened to 20 familiar Chinese and non-Chinese melodic excerpts under two conditions: static seating and movement on a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform programmed to follow melodic pitch contours. The participants rated melodic valence, arousal, perceived contour variation, and directional perception as well as movement-melody compatibility and comfort. The results revealed no significant differences in melodic valence between conditions. Compared with the static condition, the dynamic condition yielded higher ratings for arousal, contour variation, and directional perception, with reduced variability in contour and direction ratings. Compatibility ratings were correlated positively with subjective perceptual enhancement, particularly for contour perception. Furthermore, significant interactions between cultural background and platform state were observed for arousal, contour, and direction ratings, with stronger dynamic effects for Chinese excerpts. These findings suggest that passive body motion congruent with melodic contour may enhance specific dimensions of melodic perception and consistency, providing further evidence for cross-modal pitch-space associations within an embodied framework, as well as a perceptual and empirical foundation for the design of intelligent textile systems that integrate kinesthetic feedback with auditory content, including smart cabin seating and wearable haptic interfaces.

embodied music cognition, passive body motion, haptic textiles, melody perception, cross-modal correspondence