Sex, Drugs, but Not Rock ‘n’ Roll
Science, March 2014If music is a universal language, it doesn’t speak to everyone. Psychologists asked more than 1000 college students what they found rewarding. Of those surveyed, the team selected 10 students who ranked music significantly less pleasurable than other choices provided, such as sex, exercise, and food. The researchers discovered that the students weren’t tone deaf or incapable of grasping the emotional meaning of a song—their brains simply didn’t find listening to music rewarding.