Chills in music: A systematic review.

Abstract

Chills are a psychophysiological response which can be experienced when listening to music. They have been of particular interest in scientific research on music because of their association with emotion and pleasure. However, with the literature doubling in size since the last review on the subject, it has become increasingly difficult to gain a broad and integrated understanding of the empirical and theoretical research on musicevoked chills (MECs). Notably, crucial questions remain about the criteria that are necessary and sufficient to characterise MECs. In this article, we systematically review the literature on MECs in order to reconcile diverging opinions and empirical findings on their psychological nature, and to develop a preliminary model that provides a robust framework for future hypothesis-driven research. We explore the context behind current research on MECs, discuss how they relate to emotional and aesthetic responses, assess current empirical measures and paradigms, summarise their physiological and neural correlates, categorise their possible stimulusdriven elicitors, examine how they are affected by individual differences, and evaluate theoretical perspectives about their potential evolutionary causes. We conclude by providing a preliminary model of MECs that suggests different pathways for the experience of MECs, a dataset listing pieces of music reported to elicit MECs in the reviewed literature, and a set of open issues, hypotheses, and recommended approaches for future research.

The “Ifs” and “Hows” of the Role of Music on the Implementation of Emotional Regulation Strategies

“…We are very susceptible to music, and the power it exerts on us is undeniable. The way music is described by lay people and experts makes us believe that it is like an omnipotent entity, capable of cheering us up, calming us down, acting like a comforting friend [ 10 ], and giving us chills [ 61 ]. In the present study, we highlighted some potentialities of music in emotional regulation that remind us of the power of music but, not less important, we also highlighted some limitations.…”

Frisson Waves

“…Studies link the experiencing of aesthetic chills to moments of peak pleasure and emotional responses [2,3,47]. Individuals who experience frisson tend to feel higher degrees of pleasure than those who do not experience frisson [16]. Based on these findings, we assume enhancing frisson sensations may increase the aesthetic experience, especially for those who never experience frisson naturally.…”

“…We investigate if sharing frisson can lead to a deeper understanding of other people's aesthetic experience and further elicit an expressive appreciation of the musical piece. Thus far frisson has been relatively underexplored [16]. To start to address this, we explore the feasibility of sharing frisson through a combination of lab studies and in-the-wild concerts, and we investigate the potential influence of this on the audience's live experience through multi-modal evaluation methods.…”

“…To start to address this, we explore the feasibility of sharing frisson through a combination of lab studies and in-the-wild concerts, and we investigate the potential influence of this on the audience's live experience through multi-modal evaluation methods. We aim to augment the aesthetic experience through enhancing the capability of feeling frisson which is usually affected by music appreciation and training [16], personality [50], openness [13], physiological and neural features [42]. While it may not be possible to change these individual characteristics directly, we aim to mediate frisson between people using a thermohaptic approach that allows neighboring people to perceive frisson beyond their conscious control [24].…”

The physiological study of emotional piloerection: A systematic review and guide for future research

“…The term goosebump is used when referring to piloerection colloquially-for example, when describing the experience subjectively or relying on self-reports. The term chills (or frisson, thrills) is used almost exclusively in the context of listening to music and often refers to a selfreported sensation (de Fleurian and Pearce, 2021). Based on previous definitions, we consider piloerection a subpart of the psychological construct of chills.…”