Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Airthumbs on 03/07/2011 21:16:46
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Is there any kind of evolutionary advantage to our emotive reactions to music?
For example, happy uplifting....
and so so sad [:(]
In fact the second track here gives me goose bumps so not only does it evoke an emotive response but physical also.
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major chords sound bright
minor chords sound dark
dimnished chords sound obtuse?
got a keyboard?
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[;D]
major chords sound bright
minor chords sound dark
dimnished chords sound obtuse?
got a keyboard?
Got a guitar.. [;D] But why do sounds have attached emotion?
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My theory is that there is a one-to-one correspondence between your experiences and your emotions. So, since your emotions are produced by neurotransmitters, presumably the experience of hearing the music jacks up the neurotransmitter levels to the pattern which produces the emotion.
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I think there is a relation between experience and emotions but I doubt it is "one-to-one", although I am not sure what that means as neither item is really quantifiable. I think it is probable that emotional responses are triggered by outside stimuli (if that's what you meant) but I also think that they can spontaneously appear too and, even if triggered, their intensity can bear no specific relationship to any triggering event. Anyone who suffers depression will attest to this.
In answer to Airthumbs, I have a suspician that some human responses to music are learnt and some are in-built through evolution of the brain. I think it is a built-in feature that certain combinations of tones are pleasing and some are not and that this is common to all humans. Maybe it is just a natural desire for order that frequencies in certain ratios are pleasing. The reasons that major chords are bright and minor are dark (or sad) may be something cultural though, as these are not constructs that are found in all the world's music.
I expect some fundamental responses to musical sounds predates language ability and is very deep rooted - hence causing a direct emotional response.
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sunlight is bright & humans fear darkness or thats what my plant sez
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If "bright" or "dark" when applied to music have the same meaning as when applied to light, then that is part of the essence of the question rather than any explanation.
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explanations: light=life,joy,hope... dark=death,gloom... Man has created these associations from the fear of abstracized death foremost ithinx. Now, go play a major chord & then play the same chord as a minor chord---what do u hear/see?
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The question was about evolutionary advantage in our reaction to music. First one has to establish if our reaction to music is innate or learnt. I think the reaction to major or minor chords may be learnt as it is not something present in all other cultures. However, the effect on our emotions of music in general does seem ubiquitous.