Play it again Sam: Repeated exposure to emotionally evocative music polarises liking and smiling responses, and influences other affective reports, facial EMG, and heart rate

This study assessed exposure effects on liking, self-reported affect, and physiology in response to music. Music stimuli varied in valence (positive or negative) and arousal (high or low), in a 2×2 within-subjects design (N=67). Six quasi-randomly ordered, counterbalanced exposures to music produced response polarisation. With exposure, negative music was liked even less, whereas positive music was liked even more. Zygomatic (smile) EMG also showed response polarisation: with exposure, participants smiled most during positive arousing music, and least during negative arousing music. Heart rate, corrugator (brow) and orbicularis oculi (under the eye) EMG reactivity patterns were consistent with possible increased fluency in processing the music with exposure. We address theoretical accounts of exposure and response polarisation and suggest directions for future research.