Music tastes are formed by cultural upbringing and are not innate, a new study has revealed.
The research by scientists from MIT and Brandeis University, published in the Nature Journal, showed that musical preferences are shaped by experiences and are not 'hard-wired' into the brain from birth.
As part of the study, scientists analysed the responses of 100 members of a remote Amazonian tribe to assess how much they liked dissonant and consonant chords.
Researchers performed experiments to ensure that the subjects could make out the difference between the two types of sounds with the results showing that they rated dissonant and consonant chords as equally enjoyable.
Consonant chords usually consist of harmonising notes while dissonant chords typically jar.
Josh McDermott from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, said: ‘This study suggests that preferences for consonance over dissonance depend on exposure to Western musical culture, and that the preference is not innate.’
According to the paper, ‘the observed variation in preferences is presumably determined by exposure to musical harmony, suggesting that culture has a dominant role in shaping aesthetic responses to music’.
Visit the Nature website to read the full report.
The research by scientists from MIT and Brandeis University, published in the Nature Journal, showed that musical preferences are shaped by experiences and are not 'hard-wired' into the brain from birth.
As part of the study, scientists analysed the responses of 100 members of a remote Amazonian tribe to assess how much they liked dissonant and consonant chords.
Researchers performed experiments to ensure that the subjects could make out the difference between the two types of sounds with the results showing that they rated dissonant and consonant chords as equally enjoyable.
Consonant chords usually consist of harmonising notes while dissonant chords typically jar.
Josh McDermott from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, said: ‘This study suggests that preferences for consonance over dissonance depend on exposure to Western musical culture, and that the preference is not innate.’
According to the paper, ‘the observed variation in preferences is presumably determined by exposure to musical harmony, suggesting that culture has a dominant role in shaping aesthetic responses to music’.
Visit the Nature website to read the full report.
