A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
“The Kind of Music That Makes My Skin Crawl” : Disgust Associated with Musical Experiences (2023)

Peltola, H.-R. (2023). “The Kind of Music That Makes My Skin Crawl” : Disgust Associated with Musical Experiences. In M. Ryynänen, H. Kosonen, & S. Ylönen (Eds.), Cultural Approaches to Disgust and the Visceral (pp. 147-159). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003205364-16

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Peltola, Henna-Riikka

Parent publication: Cultural Approaches to Disgust and the Visceral

Parent publication editors: Ryynänen, Max; Kosonen, Heidi; Ylönen, Susanne

ISBN:  978-1-032-06378-2

eISBN: 978-1-003-20536-4

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 25/08/2022

Pages range: 147-159

Number of pages in the book: 242

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003205364-16

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/82882

Abstract

This chapter explores the affective aspects of aversive experiences relating to music listening. In music psychology research, there is a strong consensus that one of the most important reasons that people listen to music is to experience emotions, and that most music-evoked emotions are positively toned. Negative emotions, therefore, are often considered irrelevant in a musical context. However, although many people think music is fundamentally a positive and pleasurable phenomenon, it is also known to been purposely used for evoking unpleasant affective reactions, even for torture. Such accounts challenge the idea that music or music-induced experiences could be only positive or harmless at most. In this chapter, I will first discuss the rather poorly understood nature of negative emotions in musical context, then I will review some of the recent findings of empirical studies investigating disliked music and aversive musical experiences. Finally, I will consider the implications of current constructivist theories of emotions and affect for studying negative affective responses to music. I will conclude the chapter by discussing whether disgust could really be an appropriate concept to employ when aiming to understand unpleasant musical experiences.

Keywords: music; emotions; aversion; experiences (knowledge); reactions; negativity; affectivity; taste in music

Free keywords: gender

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2023

JUFO rating: 3