USES AND FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC IN CONGENITAL AMUSIA

Abstract

THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ASCERTAIN whether deficits in music perception impact upon music appreciation. Likert ratings were gathered from congenital amusics and matched controls concerning the degree to which individuals incorporate music in their everyday lives, are able to achieve certain psychological states through music, and feel positively about music imposed upon them. Those with amusia reported incorporating music into everyday activities to a lesser degree than controls. They also reported experiencing fewer changes in psychological states when listening to music and felt more negatively about imposed music compared to controls. However, the scores of some amusic individuals fell within the control range on these questionnaires, providing some evidence for a developmental dissociation between music perception (impaired) and music appreciation (normal). Potential reasons for this dissociation are discussed.