Relaxed and connected: Insights into the emotional–motivational constituents of musical pleasure

Abstract

Music is a source of daily pleasure, and positive emotional experiences and rewarding functions of music have been actively studied. Yet, knowledge about the interrelatedness of emotional and motivational constituents of musical pleasure is sparse. This study explored the characteristic emotional contents of music-induced pleasure, their relation to motivations for music and whether the underlying dimensionality of these aspects was specific to music (in comparison to the visual domain). Data were collected through an online questionnaire ( N = 464), measuring evoked emotions and motivational pleasure types that the respondents related to a musical piece or a visual object inducing pleasure in their daily life. Exploratory factor analyses indicated six-factor models for evoked emotions and three-factor models for pleasure types and regression analyses about their interrelatedness suggested an underlying two-dimensional conceptualization: On one hand, musical pleasure stems from music-induced sensations of relaxation, power, and passion. On the other hand, musical pleasure centers on the feeling of kinship relating to social values and mental contemplation. Minor domain-specificity of this constitution of pleasure in comparison to the visual domain was observed. Overall, the study provides novel perspectives for understanding the complex emotional–motivational features directing individuals’ daily engagement with music listening.