A1 Journal article (refereed)
The pleasure evoked by sad music is mediated by feelings of being moved (2017)
Vuoskoski, J., & Eerola, T. (2017). The pleasure evoked by sad music is mediated by feelings of being moved. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 439. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00439
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Vuoskoski, Jonna; Eerola, Tuomas
Journal or series: Frontiers in Psychology
ISSN: 1664-1078
eISSN: 1664-1078
Publication year: 2017
Volume: 8
Issue number: 0
Article number: 439
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation
Place of Publication: Lausanne
Publication country: Switzerland
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00439
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/53318
Abstract
Why do we enjoy listening to music that makes us sad? This question has puzzled music psychologists for decades, but the paradox of “pleasurable sadness” remains to be solved. Recent findings from a study investigating the enjoyment of sad films suggest that the positive relationship between felt sadness and enjoyment might be explained by feelings of being moved (Hanich et al., 2014). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether feelings of being moved also mediated the enjoyment of sad music. In Experiment 1, 308 participants listened to five sad music excerpts and rated their liking and felt emotions. A multilevel mediation analysis revealed that the initial positive relationship between liking and felt sadness (r = 0.22) was fully mediated by feelings of being moved. Experiment 2 explored the interconnections of perceived sadness, beauty, and movingness in 27 short music excerpts that represented independently varying levels of sadness and beauty. Two multilevel mediation analyses were carried out to test competing hypotheses: (A) that movingness mediates the effect of perceived sadness on liking, or (B) that perceived beauty mediates the effect of sadness on liking. Stronger support was obtained for Hypothesis A. Our findings suggest that – similarly to the enjoyment of sad films – the aesthetic appreciation of sad music is mediated by being moved. We argue that felt sadness may contribute to the enjoyment of sad music by intensifying feelings of being moved.
Keywords: music; emotions; beauty
Free keywords: sadness
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- SURUN SULOISUUS: Musiikin aiheuttaman su
- Eerola, Tuomas
- Research Council of Finland
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2017
JUFO rating: 1