Application of free choice profiling for the evaluation of emotions elicited by music

Music evokes and carries emotions. Despite many studies having investigated the relation between music and emotion, current research lacks a systematic and empirically derived taxonomy of musically induced emotions [1]. This work contributes to the question which musical features in particular are able to induce emotions while listening. Problems of defining and measuring emotions are explained. A method to measure affective states induced by music with the help of Free Choice Profiling (FCP) is outlined. Two FCP experiments, assessing the usefulness of the method for emotional research and the selection of test stimuli are described. The shown results are in line with psychological theories of emotions, i.e., the valence/arousal model.