Dopamine modulates the reward experiences elicited by music
Ferreri and colleagues report the causal test that this literature otherwise lacks. Participants listened to music in three separate sessions, having been orally administered a dopamine precursor, levodopa, a dopamine antagonist, risperidone, and a placebo, lactose. The two drugs produced opposite effects on measures of musical pleasure and motivation: levodopa increased the hedonic experience and music-related motivational responses against placebo, while risperidone reduced both. The authors conclude that dopamine plays a causal role in musical pleasure, and suggest that dopaminergic transmission may play different or additive roles in abstract cognitive activities from those postulated in affective processing so far. This publication cites it as the strongest single piece of evidence in the area and records the limit that Kent Berridge's incentive salience account imposes on it: the design raised pleasure and motivation together, so it cannot separate the music becoming more enjoyable from the listener wanting more of it.
Ferreri and colleagues report the causal test that this literature otherwise lacks. Participants listened to music in three separate sessions, having been orally administered a dopamine precursor, levodopa, a dopamine antagonist, risperidone, and a placebo, lactose. The two drugs produced opposite effects on measures of musical pleasure and motivation: levodopa increased the hedonic experience and music-related motivational responses against placebo, while risperidone reduced both. The authors conclude that dopamine plays a causal role in musical pleasure, and suggest that dopaminergic transmission may play different or additive roles in abstract cognitive activities from those postulated in affective processing so far. This publication cites it as the strongest single piece of evidence in the area and records the limit that Kent Berridge's incentive salience account imposes on it: the design raised pleasure and motivation together, so it cannot separate the music becoming more enjoyable from the listener wanting more of it.
Written from the abstract, OpenAlex.
What our sources record
Reproduced as it was written when this source was checked, figures and all.
Within-participant administration of a dopamine precursor (levodopa), a dopamine antagonist (risperidone) and a placebo during music listening; levodopa increased the hedonic experience and music-related motivational responses against placebo, risperidone reduced both. doi:10.1073/pnas.1811878116
Where we use it
- Why a Song Gives You Chills, Why We Engage
Reliability of this reference
The link below was matched against the publisher's record on title, first author and year, and all three agree.
The source
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811878116
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811878116