Physically Experienced Reactions and Music : A Questionnaire Study of Musicians and Non-Musicians

Abstract

Studying physically experienced reactions such as chills, tears, and racing heart (sometimes generally referred to as thrills) represents an important approach to music and emotion. A questionnaire study methodologically based on Sloboda's influential article (1991) partly confirms the results but disagrees with them in some findings. More frequent physical reactions during music listening in women reported by previous studies were confirmed only for respondents older that 30 in thisstudy. In partial accordance with some of previous studies, more frequent physical reactions in professional musicians than in amateur musicians and non-musicians were found and goose-pimples and chills appeared to be the two most frequent reactions. Another study based on modified questionnaire was focused on musicians only and aimed at the difference between thrills experienced during listening to music and during music-making. The results show that for some musicians these two situations represent similar experiences (with regard to the reactions), while for most musicians the two situations are quite diverse. These results suggest that musicians' reports about chills and similar reactions may be influenced by their experience during performance. This contamination of questionnaire responses can be to a certain extent based on reactions connected to stage fright. The highly consistent frequency of occurrence of different examined reactions, and language nuances are discussed.