Musical Piloerection

Authors

  • Björn Vickhoff PhD
  • Rickard Åström MFA
  • Töres Theorell MD, PhD
  • Bo von Schéele PhD
  • Michael Nilsson MD, PhD

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47513/mmd.v4i2.289

Abstract

Piloerection (from the Latin pilus for hair) is a skin response which can be observed at many occasions among various species as a reaction to fear, aggression, or coldness. It is also a human response to music and in these cases a highly pleasurable one. Not everyone experiences it, and it is particularly difficult to evoke the reaction in experimental settings. We accidentally happened to catch a spontaneous distinct reaction with finger temperature, skin conductance, heart rate, and respiration. This allows us to study how these emotion correlates online with the music—the dynamics of the event. From this and recent articles, we discuss suggestions of how music causes piloerection.

Author Biographies

Björn Vickhoff, PhD

Björn Vickhoff, PhD, is a researcher at the Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahl- grenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Rickard Åström, MFA

Rickard Åström, MFA in music, is a musician and the composer of the music in the experiment. His merits include Grammy awards, World tours, and working as musical director and composer at the Gothenburg Opera.

Töres Theorell, MD, PhD

Töres Theorell, MD, PhD, is professor emeritus at the Karolinska Institute and a scientific advisor at the Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Bo von Schéele, PhD

Bo von Schéele, PhD, is a professor of Biopsychosocial Medicine AB at Sweden and MälardalenUniversity,Sweden.

Michael Nilsson, MD, PhD

Michael Nilsson, MD, PhD, is a professor at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and the Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

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Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Full Length Articles