Jammin' the 2026 Psychology of Music Test 1 – Ace Your Rhythmic Mind Challenge!

In Meyer's expectancy theory, musical emotion comes from predictions about what will come next. As you listen, you form expectations based on patterns and learned conventions in the music. When those expectations are fulfilled, a sense of relief or pleasant release follows; when they are violated, tension builds and you feel surprise or heightened arousal. Features like tempo, timbre, or cultural context shape what you expect, but the core emotion arises from how those expectations are managed—fulfilled or violated—producing tension and release.