According to Philip Ball’s article “Will we ever…understand why music makes us feel good?,” which of the following is NOT true?

Notice: The questions and answer sets for this quiz are protected under copyright, and may not be reproduced without the author's consent.

Question

According to Philip Ball’s article “Will we ever…understand why music makes us feel good?,” which of the following is NOT true?

Notice: The questions and answer sets for this quiz are protected under copyright, and may not be reproduced without the author's consent.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Well-written music evokes the same emotional response in all listeners.

Relevant knowledge points and concepts:
- Neuroscience research (e.g., studies by Salimpoor et al.) links music listening to dopamine release in brain reward circuits, explaining pleasurable responses.
- Music perception relies on establishing expectations and the reward of their fulfillment or violation (predictive coding; Huron’s theory of expectation).
- Processing music recruits cognitive systems tied to both emotion and higher-order pattern recognition, memory, and attention.
- Emotional responses to music are subjective, shaped by cultural background, personal memories, training, and physiological differences.

Step‑by‑step reasoning:
1. Examine option A: “Listening to music triggers the release of the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine.” Empirical neuroimaging and neurochemical studies show peaks of dopamine linked to peak emotional moments in music, so this statement is supported by Ball’s discussion of neuroscience.
2. Examine option B: “Listening to music establishes patterns of expectation and reward.” Ball emphasizes that music creates expectations and that tension/resolution produce reward, matching music cognition literature; this is true.
3. Examine option C: “Well-written music evokes the same emotional response in all listeners.” This claims uniformity of emotional response. Ball highlights individual differences—context, cultural learning, personal memories, and neural variability—so this claim is false.
4. Examine option D: “Listening to music involves cognitive processes associated with emotions and logic.” Ball notes that music engages both emotional reactions and cognitive pattern processing (structure, syntax), so this is true.

Why the correct answer is correct:
The incorrect statement (C) contradicts Ball’s emphasis on subjectivity: even expertly composed music does not produce identical emotions across listeners because responses depend on individual histories, expectations, and neural differences.

Why the other options are correct:
A, B, and D are supported by neuroscience and music cognition literature that Ball cites: dopamine release (A), expectation/reward mechanisms (B), and involvement of cognitive/emotional processing (D).

Conclusion:
Therefore the statement “Well-written music evokes the same emotional response in all listeners.” is NOT true, which matches the provided correct answer.

According to Philip Ball’s article “Will we ever…understand why music makes us feel good?,” which of the following is NOT true? Notice: The questions and answer sets for this quiz are protected under copyright, and may not be reproduced without the author's consent.Single choice

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