Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2008 - Volume 31, Issue 05  

Open Peer Commentary

Distinguishing between two types of musical emotions and reconsidering the role of appraisal

Agnes Moorsa1 and Peter Kuppensa2

a1 Department of Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium agnes.moors@ugent.be http://users.ugent.be/~akmoors/

a2 Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. peter.kuppens@psy.kuleuven.be http://ppw.kuleuven.be/okp/people/Peter_Kuppens/

Abstract

The target article inventories mechanisms underlying musical emotions. We argue that the inventory misses important mechanisms and that its structure would benefit from the distinction between two types of musical emotions. We also argue that the authors' claim that appraisal does not play a crucial role in the causation of musical emotions rests on a narrow conception of appraisal.

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