Physiological Influences of Music in Perception and Action

This Element addresses how listening to music influences emotional response, movement, and pain sensation through physiological changes.

Shannon E. Wright (Author), Valentin Bégel (Author), Caroline Palmer (Author)

9781009044110, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 March 2022

75 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm, 0.136 kg

This Element reviews literature on the physiological influences of music during perception and action. It outlines how acoustic features of music influence physiological responses during passive listening, with an emphasis on comparisons of analytical approaches. It then considers specific behavioural contexts in which physiological responses to music impact perception and performance. First, it describes physiological responses to music that evoke an emotional reaction in listeners. Second, it delineates how music influences physiology during music performance and exercise. Finally, it discusses the role of music perception in pain, focusing on medical procedures and laboratory-induced pain with infants and adults.

1. Introduction
2. Basic physiological response to music
3. Emotional response to music
4. Movement response to music
5. Pain response to music
6. Conclusions.

Subject Areas: Perception [JMRP], Psychology: emotions [JMQ], Physiological & neuro-psychology, biopsychology [JMM], Theory of music & musicology [AVA], Music [AV]