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Music and emotion: Electrophysiological correlates of the processing of pleasant and unpleasant music
Author(s) -
Sammler Daniela,
Grigutsch Maren,
Fritz Thomas,
Koelsch Stefan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00497.x
Subject(s) - psychology , electrophysiology , consonance and dissonance , valence (chemistry) , electroencephalography , emotional valence , cognitive psychology , audiology , cognition , neuroscience , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics , acoustics
Human emotion and its electrophysiological correlates are still poorly understood. The present study examined whether the valence of perceived emotions would differentially influence EEG power spectra and heart rate (HR). Pleasant and unpleasant emotions were induced by consonant and dissonant music. Unpleasant (compared to pleasant) music evoked a significant decrease of HR, replicating the pattern of HR responses previously described for the processing of emotional pictures, sounds, and films. In the EEG, pleasant (contrasted to unpleasant) music was associated with an increase of frontal midline (Fm) theta power. This effect is taken to reflect emotional processing in close interaction with attentional functions. These findings show that Fm theta is modulated by emotion more strongly than previously believed.