Intense emotional responses to music: a test of the physiological arousal hypothesis

TLDR

Intense emotions are generally associated with heightened physiological arousal. The study aimed to test whether emotionally powerful music induces greater physiological arousal than less powerful music. Twenty‑one participants listened to relaxing music, arousing but not emotionally powerful music, an emotionally powerful film scene, and a participant‑chosen emotionally powerful music piece while physiological and subjective arousal measures were recorded. Emotionally powerful music produced significantly larger skin conductance responses and more chills than other treatments, supporting the emotivist thesis that such music elicits intense physiological arousal.

Abstract

A consistent theme across general theories of emotion is that intense emotions are accompanied by increased levels of physiological arousal. The aim in the current study was to determine whether music which elicited intense emotions produced higher levels of physiological arousal than less emotionally powerful music. Twenty-one participants (9 females, 12 males) were exposed to relaxing music, arousing (but not emotionally powerful) music, an emotionally powerful film scene, and a music piece selected by participants as ‘emotionally powerful’. A range of physiological and subjective measures of arousal was recorded before and during the treatments. The emotionally powerful music treatment elicited significantly greater increases in skin conductance and number of chills than the other treatments. The findings are discussed in terms of the sensitivity of skin conductance and chills as measures of emotional intensity, and it is suggested the study offers some support for the emotivist thesis of musical emotions.