The Effects of Repetition on Liking for Music

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Abstract
An inverted-U theory of the relationship between the subjective complexity of and liking for different musical pieces was developed. The theory was then used to derive some predictions about the effects of repetition on liking for pieces of music of different styles chosen to represent contrasting levels of objective complexity. These predictions were tested in two experiments. The first experiment was a short time-scale study in which two pieces (“easy-listening” music and avant-garde jazz) were played to subjects three times during a single session. The second experiment involved repetition over 3 weekly sessions, as well as four times within sessions, of three pieces (popular, classical, and avant-garde jazz). The results of both experiments were interpreted as broadly supporting the inverted-U model although there were some surprising exceptions. These exceptions occurred when functions relating familiarity and liking were compared between musical styles, and they were tentatively explained in terms of attitudinal stereotyping.