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Media type:
E-Article
Title:
Why is sad music pleasurable? A possible role for prolactin
Contributor:
Huron, David
Published:
SAGE Publications, 2011
Published in:
Musicae Scientiae, 15 (2011) 2, Seite 146-158
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1177/1029864911401171
ISSN:
1029-8649;
2045-4147
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
A hedonic theory of music and sadness is proposed. Some listeners report that nominally sad music genuinely makes them feel sad. It is suggested that, for these listeners, sad affect is evoked through a combination of empathetic responses to sad acoustic features, learned associations, and cognitive rumination. Among those listeners who report sad feelings, some report an accompanying positive affect, whereas others report the experience to be solely negative. Levels of the hormone prolactin increase when sad – producing a consoling psychological effect suggestive of a homeostatic function. It is proposed that variations in prolactin levels might account for the variability in individual hedonic responses. Specifically, it is conjectured that high prolactin concentrations are associated with pleasurable music-induced sadness, whereas low prolactin concentrations are associated with unpleasant music-induced sadness.