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The science of why we like — and dislike — certain music

And by extension, like and dislike certain audio equipment?

 

https://theweek.com/articles/639280/science-why-like--dislike--certain-music#:~:text=For%20years%2C%20scientists%20thought%20these,seems%20to%20squash%20that%20theory.

 

"For years, scientists thought these distinct interval preferences were hardwired into our biology; in other words, that our brains are wired to prefer one sound over another — nature over nurture, if you will. But a new study seems to squash that theory. The results, published recently in the journal Nature, suggest it is not biology that dictates our musical tastes, but rather hundreds of years’ of learned behavior."

 

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_we_love_music

Large, like Salimpoor, says that this difference in preference is due to how our neurons are wired together, which in turn is based on our own, personal history of listening to or performing music. Rhythm is all about predictability, he says, and our predictions about music start forming from a pretty early age onward. He points to the work of Erin Hannon at the University of Nevada who found that babies as young as 8 months old already tune into the rhythms of the music from their own cultural environment.

So while activity in the nucleus accumbens may signal emotional pleasure, it doesn’t explain it, says Large. Learning does. That’s why musicians—who’ve usually been exposed to more complicated musical patterns over time—tend to have more varied musical tastes and enjoy more avant-garde musical traditions than non-musicians. Social contexts are also important, he adds, and can affect your emotional responses.

“Liking is so subjective,” he says. “Music may not sound any different to you than to someone else, but you learn to associate it with something you like and you’ll experience a pleasure response.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kuribo
mlsstl
1,372 posts
 

The nature versus nurture debate has been going on in the sciences for well over100 years.  I doubt a final conclusion has been reached.

For most of the people I know, the music they most often like ties back to what they heard in their childhood and teenage years as they were developing.  I know my parents didn't care for the Beatles and their many cohorts who became famous in my early teens, but they loved Big Band music which was the hot thing when they were young. 

As a side story, I ordered by phone from a local hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant earlier this week. The owner's wife who answered the phone asked me to wait for a minute. She didn't put me on hold so I heard what was going on. She began to sing to herself -- a Chinese song that apparently she really liked. The words obviously didn't mean anything to me, but the melody also did nothing for me -- I couldn't envision anyone who thought that was a catchy tune. But, then I didn't grow up in China.

Cast my vote for a heavy dose of nurture.

kuribo OP
524 posts
 

I believe the implications of this extend beyond simply what type of music we prefer to actually having something to do with what sounds we prefer. Why do some, but clearly not all,  people prefer tubes to ss for example. It's obvious that while our hearing physiology is basically the same, the interpretation done by our brains isn't. It is becoming clear that our preferences are based on experience, learning, and the attending biases that we have, most being subconscious.

jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 

Equipment preferences are due to subjective biases! Same as music!

kuribo OP
524 posts
 

that's what researchers are indicating.

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