Volume 29, Issue 1
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.155
CONTAGION EFFECT OF MUSIC BEATS ON AUDIENT EMOTIONS
Abstract
The beats of music can induce varied emotional responses among the audients. This paper attempts to disclose the contagion effect of music beats on audient emotions. Some non-music major students were selected and asked to listen to seven types of music, namely, light music, general music, fast music, Chinese classical light music, Western classical light music, Chinese electronic music, and Western electronic music. Their electroencephalography (EEG) signals were measured and used to analyze their emotional responses. The results show that music beats stimulate the auditory sense and induces changes to the cerebral cortex, bringing mood changes; the beats of different types of music, except the light music, show good contagion effect on human emotions; despite their difference in emotional responses, electronic music and classical light music have similar variation in mean average recognition rate. This research provides clues to exploring the emotional responses of the audients to music rhythms.
Keywords
Music, Music Beats, Audients, Contagion Effect, Cerebral Cortex.