Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Applications

Abstract

Music's ability to express and arouse emotions is a mystery that has fascinated both experts and laymen at least since ancient Greece. This book offers an account of this domain. It provides coverage of the many approaches that may be said to define the field of music and emotion, in all its breadth and depth. The first section offers multi-disciplinary perspectives on musical emotions from philosophy, musicology, psychology, neurobiology, anthropology, and sociology. The second section features methodologically oriented chapters on the measurement of emotions via different channels (e.g., self-report, psychophysiology, neuroimaging). Sections three and four address how emotion enters into different aspects of musical behaviour, both the making of music and its consumption. Section five covers developmental, personality, and social factors. Section six describes the most important applications involving the relationship between music and emotion. In a final commentary, the editors comment on the history of the field, summarize the current state of affairs, and propose future directions for the field.