A dynamically minimalist cognitive explanation of musical preference: is familiarity everything?

Abstract

This paper examines the idea that attraction to music is generated at a cognitive level through the formation and activation of networks of interlinked “nodes.” Although the networks involved are vast, the basic mechanism for activating the links is relatively simple. Two comprehensive cognitive-behavioral models of musical engagement are examined with the aim of identifying the underlying cognitive mechanisms and processes involved in musical experience. A “dynamical minimalism” approach (after Nowak, 2004) is applied to re-interpret musical engagement (listening, performing, composing, or imagining any of these) and to revise the latest version of the reciprocal-feedback model (RFM) of music processing. Specifically, a single cognitive mechanism of “spreading activation” through previously associated networks is proposed as a pleasurable outcome of musical engagement. This mechanism underlies the dynamic interaction of the various components of the RFM, and can thereby explain the generation of positive affects in the listener’s musical experience. This includes determinants of that experience stemming from the characteristics of the individual engaging in the musical activity (whether listener, composer, improviser, or performer), the situation and contexts (e.g., social factors), and the music (e.g., genre, structural features). The theory calls for new directions for future research, two being (1) further investigation of the components of the RFM to better understand musical experience and (2) more rigorous scrutiny of common findings about the salience of familiarity in musical experience and preference.

Imaginative Enrichment Produces Higher Preference for Unusual Music Than Historical Framing: A Literature Review and Two Empirical Studies

“…One explanation is that the repeated pairings of framing vignettes would also improve cognitive fluency, in line with the predictions by Belke and colleagues (e.g., Belke et al, 2010). Alternatively, these results fit the dynamic minimalist account proposed by Schubert et al (2014b), which proposes that each of the cognitive factors that determine musical response also generate musical pleasure. In other words, any kind of mental representation associated with music can add to cognitive activation, which, they claim, generates pleasure.…”

The effect of listening to music on human transcriptome

“…This suggests that certain musical abilities (either innate or acquired through music education) may influence the transcriptional responses of listening to music. Previous works have shown that the familiarity of music attained through music education or repeated music exposure is known to largely influence the rewarding aspects of listening to music ( Sarkamo et al, 2008 ; Salimpoor et al, 2009 ; Van den Bosch, Salimpoor & Zatorre, 2013 ; Schubert, Hargreaves & North, 2014 ). Here, we acknowledge that the effect of music exposure on human gene expression could be very subjective and may vary depending on several factors such as age, sex, culture, previous listening habits, music education and training and personal liking of music, as recently discussed ( Wong et al, 2007 ; Salimpoor et al, 2009 ; Van den Bosch, Salimpoor & Zatorre, 2013 ; Mikutta et al, 2014 ).…”

Effects of musical cultural experience on music emotion processing

“…乐偏好具有重要关联 [50,68,69] . Martindale 和Moore [68] 较早探讨了音乐文化经验在音乐偏好产生过程中的 作用机制, 提出了音乐偏好的"原型"假设(prototype hypothesis).…”

“…Brattico等人 [66] 发现, 音乐文化经验不同的个体在边 缘系统部分具有不同的激活特点, 音乐专业者相比 具有更强的激活. Alluri等人 [80] 是 目 前 理 论还 难 以 做 出较 好 解 释 的问 题 [50] . 例 如 , 多项研究发现相比不和谐音程, 刚刚出生或半岁以 下的婴儿就能表现出对和谐音程的偏好 [81,82] , 这意 味着音乐偏好的发生仍然存在重要的生物学基础, 仍然具有不需要习得的过程 [67] .…”

“…例 如 , 多项研究发现相比不和谐音程, 刚刚出生或半岁以 下的婴儿就能表现出对和谐音程的偏好 [81,82] , 这意 味着音乐偏好的发生仍然存在重要的生物学基础, 仍然具有不需要习得的过程 [67] . 此外, 也有较多研 究发现不熟悉的音乐风格仍然也能够带来喜爱感, 在这其中, 音乐情绪类型、性别和人格等因素都可能 比音乐文化经验具有更为重要的作用 [83] , 例如: Har-greaves等人 [50] 研究发现女性青年比同年龄段的男性 青年对音乐持有普遍性的偏好. 这些研究预示着音 乐文化经验可能与音乐偏好并非具有直接和必然的 联系.…”