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

Music serves as a powerful tool for emotion regulation, particularly in adolescents, who experience emotional challenges. Understanding the determinants shaping their perception of musical emotions may help optimize music-based interventions, especially for those with ADHD. This online study examined how familiarity, musical affinity, and ADHD diagnosis influence adolescents' judgments of musical excerpts in terms of arousal and emotional valence. A total of 138 adolescents (38 ADHD, 100 controls) rated 55 excerpts for arousal, valence, and familiarity using 10-point Likert scales. Musical affinity was conceptualized as a multidimensional construct encompassing musical experience, listening diversity, and receptivity to musical emotions. A cluster analysis identified two affinity profiles (low and high), and ANCOVAs tested the effects of affinity, ADHD, and familiarity on arousal and valence judgments. Familiarity strongly affected both arousal and valence. High-affinity adolescents judged excerpts as more pleasant and familiar, though arousal ratings did not differ between affinity profiles. Familiarity effects on emotional valence were stronger among lower-affinity adolescents. ADHD status did not significantly affect ratings. Overall, the study underscores music's potential for emotion regulation and its relevance in educational, clinical, and self-care contexts.