Study maps 13 key human emotions triggered by music across cultures

Researchers have discovered that across cultures, 13 key emotions such as joy, sadness, anxiety etc are triggered when people listen to specific types of music.

There is a reason behind 'Star-Spangled Banner' giving rise to pride or 'Shape of you' boosting motivation. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, conducted a survey of around 2500 people from two countries--China and the United States to examine their emotional reaction to songs from various genres.

The music culture across the globe majorly influences 13 kinds of feelings from amusement to eroticism, sadness to joy. Other emotions induced by music are scariness, defiance, beauty, relaxation, dreaminess, triumph annoyance and feeling pumped up.

The lead author of the study, Alan Cowen, who is also a UC Berkeley neuroscience doctoral student shared: "When we organize a wide range of music to note the mix of feelings from the listeners, each tune gives us distinct results."

The findings are to be published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences within this week.

Cowen has converted the gained data into an audio interactive map so that the visitors are able to listen to any track from the library and realize the emotional response by moving their cursors around.

The study would be of help in the fields of psychiatric and psychological therapies.