How Familiarity, Musical Affinity, and ADHD Shape Adolescents' Perception of Musical Emotions

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Music Therapy

Background:

• Music is a key tool for emotion regulation in adolescents.
• Understanding factors influencing music perception can optimize music-based interventions, especially for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how familiarity, musical affinity, and ADHD diagnosis affect adolescents' judgments of musical excerpts' arousal and emotional valence.
• To explore the relationship between musical affinity profiles and emotional perception.

Main Methods:

• An online study involving 138 adolescents (38 with ADHD, 100 controls).
• Participants rated 55 musical excerpts on arousal, valence, and familiarity using Likert scales.
• Musical affinity was assessed multidimensionally; cluster analysis identified low and high affinity profiles.

Main Results:

• Familiarity significantly impacted both arousal and valence ratings.
• Adolescents with high musical affinity perceived excerpts as more pleasant and familiar.
• Effects of familiarity on emotional valence were more pronounced in lower-affinity adolescents; ADHD status did not significantly alter ratings.

Conclusions:

• Music's potential for emotion regulation is significant in educational, clinical, and self-care settings.
• Familiarity and musical affinity are key determinants of adolescents' music-emotion perception.
• Further research may refine music-based interventions by considering individual differences in musical engagement.