Effect of implicit knowledge and familirity in music reward
Traditionally, theories explaining why we like music have focused primarily on expectations and how these engage activity on reward system structures. Previous influential accounts suggested that the pleasure increases to its maximum in extracts of intermediate complexity in which listeners have an equilibrium between right predictions and prediction errors. These anticipations are likely driven by both the implicit knowledge of music rules, and in circumstances in which the excerpt is familiar, the explicit understanding of how the sequence will unfold. In the present study we use unfamiliar music composed employing Essen Folk collection’s alphabet of transitional probabilities, and modulate the number of repetitions to assess the modulation on pleasure ratings. Excerpts were classified in three groups of complexity (low, medium, or high) depending on their degree of information content (operationalized measure of predictability of the excerpts). 29 participants were asked to rate pleasurableness of stimuli that differ on complexity degree and number of repetitions, as well as a recognition task. Preliminary results show that repetitions and predictability of the excerpt seem to have an effect on affection and memory encoding, as well as modulating auditory-motor activity.
We appreciate being punctual in the connection.
ZOOM LINK: https://ub-edu.zoom.us/j/93328424137
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