EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO MUSIC AS MEASURED BY THE 2-DIMENSIONAL CRDI

This study compared emotional responses to an excerpt from Puccini's L a Boheme using a two-dimensional CRDI. The two-dimensional CRDI provid es the possibility of using a computer screen via a mouse to indicate the interrelationship of two dimensions simultaneously. In the present investigation, 48 subjects were presented with two dimensions in orde r to assess perception of arousal, i.e., relaxing-exciting in relation ship to affect, i.e., ugly-beautiful. Visual and temporal analyses of this 20-minute selection indicated that there is not a consequential d ifference between subjects' responses to the ugly-beautiful dimension throughout the excerpt that appears substantially different from previ ous aesthetic responses using this same excerpt. Furthermore, subjects ' arousal responses (i.e., exciting vs. relaxing does not replicate th e ugly-beautiful dimension and, therefore, adds important new informat ion to overall analysis of emotional response to music. Responses to t he exciting-relaxing dimension represent degrees of arousal that sugge st one needs to be somewhat aroused in order to have an affective resp onse. More importantly, the subtle relationships between arousal and a ffect provide important information for the music therapist.