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Why does the brain release dopamine when listening to music?

Best Answers

When we 1) anticipate and then 2) actually experience a pleasurable response while listening to music, our brain reacts in distinct and specific ways to release the "feel-good" chemical dopamine. What Does This Mean? From an academic standpoint, this is a fascinating study. read more

According to the researchers, this may be the first study to show that an abstract reward, such as listening to music — as opposed to a tangible reward, such as eating and sleeping — releases dopamine. read more

When that happens during a listening experience, Salimpoor's group and others have found evidence that blood flows to regions in the brain involved in dopamine release. To solidify the dopamine link, the researchers recruited eight music-lovers, who brought to the lab samples of music that gave them chills of pleasure. read more

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Further Research

Why do we love music?
earthsky.org

Why Music Listening Makes Us Feel Good
www.psychologytoday.com

Why Music Makes You Happy
www.seeker.com