Positive and Negative Hedonic Contrast With Musical Stimuli

Stimuli are evaluated less positively if they follow good stimuli than otherwise; stimuli are evaluated more positively if they follow bad stimuli than otherwise. These phenomena, positive and negative hedonic contrast, have been demonstrated with a variety of stimuli but never with music. No single studies have induced both kinds of contrast by pitting better against less good stimuli. In the present study, 32 subjects heard good musical selections before bad ones or bad selections before good ones. Their evaluations of those stimuli exhibited both positive and negative hedonic contrast.