The effects of nicotine on music-induced emotion and perception

This thesis investigates why nicotine is often consumed in the context of music. Nicotine and music both independently increase physiological and emotional indices of arousal and pleasure, however less is known about these responses when they occur together.

Study one tests the effects of nicotine on music-induced emotion in smokers and nonsmokers (n = 125) and overall finds trends indicative of additive effects (although nonsignificant) on the physiological and emotional responses of listeners. However, nonsmokers experienced negative side effects, such as a decrease in arousal and pleasure, due to their lack of tolerance for nicotine. To disassociate the effects of nicotine (e.g. increase in arousal, increase in pleasure) study two tests the effects of caffeine on music-induced emotion in smokers and nonsmokers (n = 120). Caffeine was predicted to only increase arousal without influencing pleasure, but increased both and had additive effects on the physiological and emotional responses to music. It is proposed that these additive effects occur through nicotine and caffeine’s ability to increase the reward value of other stimuli and through excitation transfer, where increased physiological arousal from pharmacological substances amplifies the emotions experienced during music listening.

Following on from the above physiological studies, Study three examines how nicotine affects auditory information processing in nonsmokers (n = 36) using ERP (event related potentials) techniques. Nicotine decreases habituation, reflected by an increase in the P2 amplitude in the frontal region. Nicotine therefore reduces listeners’ disengagement from repetition in music, thereby increasing familiarity and music-induced emotion.
These results agree with Dibben (2004) who found increased physiological arousal from exercise to intensify music-induced emotions and with Domino & Kishimoto (2002) who found nicotine to decrease habituation in nonsmokers during frequently occurring tones. Overall, this thesis suggests that music-induced emotion and musical engagement are enhanced as a result of nicotine consumption.