Context changes judgments of liking and predictability for melodies

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Music Cognition
• Auditory Perception

Background:

• Musical pleasure is linked to predictability and listener expectations.
• Predictability is influenced by long-term knowledge and immediate auditory context.
• How context shapes melody perception remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of auditory context on melody perception and liking.
• To determine if comparing stimuli alters judgments of predictability and pleasure.

Main Methods:

• Participants rated liking and predictability of Western music excerpts and novel melodies.
• Stimuli were presented either alone or in combination within the same listening context.
• Judgments were compared between 'alone' and 'combined' presentation conditions.

Main Results:

• Familiar repertoire music was rated as more liked and less predictable when presented with novel melodies.
• Novel experimental melodies showed the opposite pattern, rated as less liked and more predictable in combination.
• Context-dependent shifts in predictability and pleasure were observed.

Conclusions:

• Melody perception and derived pleasure are not solely based on stimulus properties.
• Judgments are influenced by comparisons with other available auditory options in the immediate context.
• Auditory context significantly modulates listener expectations and musical enjoyment.