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The evolutionary benefit of less-credible affective musical signals for emotion induction during storytelling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2021

Caitlyn Trevor Open the ORCID record for Caitlyn Trevor [Opens in a new window]  and
Sascha Frühholz
Caitlyn Trevor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8050Zurich, Switzerlandcaitlyn.trevor@psychologie.uzh.ch
Sascha Frühholz
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8050Zurich, Switzerlandcaitlyn.trevor@psychologie.uzh.ch Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317Oslo, Norwaysascha.fruehholz@uzh.chhttps://www.psychology.uzh.ch/en/areas/nec/kaneuro.html
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Abstract

The credible signaling theory underexplains the evolutionary added value of less-credible affective musical signals compared to vocal signals. The theory might be extended to account for the motivation for, and consequences of, culturally decontextualizing a biologically contextualized signal. Musical signals are twofold, communicating “emotional fiction” alongside biological meaning, and could have filled an adaptive need for affect induction during storytelling.

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Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 44 , 2021 , e118
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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