Why do people like music? (or not - as the case may be)

[Harrowby Hall]

https://digest.bps.org.uk/2020/08/18/musings-on-music-seven-insights-from-psychology/

Music has been around for a long time. Why do people like it?

The on-line Digest of the British Psychological Society looks at our relationship with music. About 3 - 5% of the human population do not respond to music (a condition called musical anhedonia) and we have one member of this board who admits to this condition. There is a link in the article to a questionnaire to find where you lie on the spectrum.


Although this is explained in the questionnaire, I should point out that the result is presented as a value in a normal distribution with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10.

MUSIC SEEKING:    65

EMOTION EVOCATION:    60

MOOD REGULATION:    51

SENSORI-MOTOR:    46

SOCIAL:    57

MUSIC REWARD:    58

[Nearly Sane]

MUSIC SEEKING:
55

EMOTION EVOCATION:
60

MOOD REGULATION:
41

SENSORI-MOTOR:
58

SOCIAL:
63

MUSIC REWARD:
57

[Roses]

I have absolutely no idea why I am not a music fan, I especially detest pop music, or whatever they call it these days. Music was a big part of my childhood. My father was in several choirs, he even went on a tour of the US with one in 1961. My sisters all have good voices, as do our own three girls, they also play musical instruments. Our eldest grandson (18) is an excellent pianist, more-or-less self taught, he had his grade 8. My husband adores classical music, he has a tuner and speakers in the sitting room, his study and his bedroom. I tolerate it as long as it isn't on too loud.

[jeremyp]

MUSIC SEEKING: 41

EMOTION EVOCATION: 53

MOOD REGULATION: 34

SENSORI-MOTOR: 30

SOCIAL: 48

MUSIC REWARD: 37

[jeremyp]

I have absolutely no idea why I am not a music fan, I especially detest pop music, or whatever they call it these days. Music was a big part of my childhood. My father was in several choirs, he even went on a tour of the US with one in 1961. My sisters all have good voices, as do our own three girls, they also play musical instruments. Our eldest grandson (18) is an excellent pianist, more-or-less self taught, he had his grade 8. My husband adores classical music, he has a tuner and speakers in the sitting room, his study and his bedroom. I tolerate it as long as it isn't on too loud.

I assume it is to you that HH was referring to when talking about musical anhedonia. However, I would disagree. If you detest pop music, it does, at least, inspire a reaction, even if not a positive one.

[Roses]

I assume it is to you that HH was referring to when talking about musical anhedonia. However, I would disagree. If you detest pop music, it does, at least, inspire a reaction, even if not a positive one.

I had never heard of the term, musical anhedonia, before, its description, which I looked up, doesn't appear to be to fit my thoughts on music . But no matter, I have much greater concerns than not being a fan of the genre.

[Aruntraveller]

My results - not really clear what it implies, except that I can't dance:

MUSIC SEEKING:
47

EMOTION EVOCATION:
52

MOOD REGULATION:
61

SENSORI-MOTOR:
38

SOCIAL:
45

MUSIC REWARD:
49

[Steve H]

MUSIC SEEKING:
20

EMOTION EVOCATION:
51

MOOD REGULATION:
35

SENSORI-MOTOR:
27

SOCIAL:
45

MUSIC REWARD:
30

I like music, but I'm not really an active music-lover. I'm much more into literature.

[King Oberon]

When i was younger up until i reached about 25/27ish music was an obsession but now i must admit I tend to not listen to much past the 70's maybe early 80s but if i'm seeking music it tends to be from ye old days 30s-50s etc.

I still have my i-pod and listen to music when travelling about daily, for me it invokes memories of the past and still makes me happy

There is something primordial about it, even a clip of tribal dancing in a movie makes me want to get up!   

[Nearly Sane]

When i was younger up until i reached about 25/27ish music was an obsession but now i must admit I tend to not listen to much past the 70's maybe early 80s but if i'm seeking music it tends to be from ye old days 30s-50s etc.

I still have my i-pod and listen to music when travelling about daily, for me it invokes memories of the past and still makes me happy

There is something primordial about it, even a clip of tribal dancing in a movie makes me want to get up!

I've mentioned before that I think we hear differently through our lives - I have a very different reaction to music now to what I had as an adolescent.

[Outrider]

MUSIC SEEKING: 37

EMOTION EVOCATION:15

MOOD REGULATION:49

SENSORI-MOTOR:25

SOCIAL: 18

MUSIC REWARD:20

I just like to have music on in the background when I'm working on pretty much anything else, from cooking dinner to actually working.

O.

[Enki]

MUSIC SEEKING:
49

EMOTION EVOCATION:
50

MOOD REGULATION:
42

SENSORI-MOTOR:
58

SOCIAL:
55

MUSIC REWARD:
50