Music and emotion: Electrophysiological correlates of the processing of pleasant and unpleasant music

  1. Daniela Sammler,
  2. Maren Grigutsch,
  3. Thomas Fritz,
  4. Stefan Koelsch

Article first published online: 16 FEB 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00497.x

Issue

Psychophysiology

Psychophysiology

Volume 44, Issue 2, pages 293–304, March 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Sammler, D., Grigutsch, M., Fritz, T. and Koelsch, S. (2007), Music and emotion: Electrophysiological correlates of the processing of pleasant and unpleasant music. Psychophysiology, 44: 293–304. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2007.00497.x

Author Information

  1. Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

*Address reprint requests to: Daniela Sammler, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Junior Research Group “Neurocognition of Music”, Stephanstrasse 1a, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany. E-mail: sammler@cbs.mpg.de.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 FEB 2007
  2. Article first published online: 16 FEB 2007
  3. (Received July 9, 2006; Accepted December 5, 2006)

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Keywords:

  • Emotion;
  • Music;
  • Dissonance;
  • EEG;
  • Fm theta;
  • Heart rate

Abstract

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.

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