Stephanie G. Mathis Listening to music is a rewarding activity, even though it has no survival value. Music is one of the most enjoyable activities that people do.
Researchers from Spain and Canada report in today’s issue of Current Biology on “music anhedonics”, or those who don’t like music.
This is a very rare phenomenon.
These people do not suffer from “Amusic“, a condition that is often caused by damage to brain areas required for the perception or interpretation of music. The “music anhedonics”, in this study perceive music the same as the rest.
They are also not people who are depressed or inhibited. And they respond just as well to non-musical rewards as others (such as money, food, sex, and drugs).
The music they enjoy doesn’t give them the same chills as other people. They aren’t that interested in music.
I have chills, and they are multiplying.
Dopamine,” the pleasure chemical“, is released by the striatum. This part of the reward system is activated when we listen to pleasing music.
Music activates the same striatum as other rewarding stimuli, such as food or sex. Dopamine is released into the dorsal striatum when the anticipation of the peak (or “Hotspot“, as music psychologist John Sloboda describes it) in the music.
CC BY NC-ND madalyn_k/Flickr
Dopamine is released into the ventral striatum when the body’s Autonomic Nervous System, which is responsible for controlling involuntary functions, is aroused.
What’s happening in the mind of anhedonic music?
The authors provide a neurobiological account. There are differences in how different stimuli affect the brain’s reward circuit. The pattern of brain areas activated by music, such as the connection between auditory regions that perceive music and reward centers, may be slightly different for these individuals.
It is not unusual to have a positive response to rewards like food, money, sex, and drugs. However, it is uncommon to receive no pleasure from these rewards. Does the story become more complex?
Symphonie bittersweet
Music is an incredibly complex phenomenon. It affects us on many levels and serves multiple purposes. Music is not only listened to for pleasure. There are many other reasons why we listen to it. The music can be very unpleasant.
The subjective nature of ‘pleasantness’ is evident.
Evolution theory does not explain why we are drawn to sad, angry, or frightening music.
Music psychology is a field that has been rapidly growing and draws from research in many areas, including cognitive neuroscience and social psychology. It also includes effective computer – the science of human-computer interactions where the device can detect its users’ emotions and respond accordingly.
A study by Swedish music psychologist Alf Gabrielsson, which involved more than 1,000 participants, showed that less than half of the strong emotions associated with music are positive.
About one-tenth of the songs involved negative emotions.
William Brawley/Flickr, CC-BY
Non-positive can be positive.
Music can make us feel this way for a variety of reasons. We can use music to express our feelings. Sometimes, this makes the problem worse, such as when we meditate. Other times, it gives voice to an emotion that we could not otherwise communicate.
We may then feel more stable or emotionally aware.
Music can also be used to help us solve problems, relax, energize, or avoid situations.
What about some tech house to energize and inspire you?
Or some relaxing new-age music to relax.
Music can help us to connect with others. When we listen to music with others, we can still feel a sense of satisfaction, even if the music doesn’t normally give us a high.
A study from 2012 showed that people who listen to music with their close friends or partners show significantly stronger autonomic reactions than those who listen alone.
xmartenx/Flickr, CC BY
Music can help us better understand the mental or emotional states of others. It may even stimulate the release of the hormone that reduces stress and promotes affiliation, oxytocin.
All of these uses can benefit our “Eudaimonic Well-being,” that is, to enhance our engagement and purpose for life rather than simply our enjoyment.
These brain regions are not limited to the reward circuit. These positive effects may still be present even if the typical pleasure response to music is absent.
Music is also an art form, which makes it different from other stimulating stimuli. As an art form, music can be enjoyed aesthetically analytically or intellectually, rather than an emotional one.
Listening to pieces oozing tragedy like Albinoni’s Adagio or Trent Reznor’s Hurt (listen below) can make us feel awe at the sophistication of the score and the perfect performance of the performers. It could be the reason why the anhedonics who participated in the study reported still feeling pleasure from music even though their bodies were not with them.
