2025/12/15 by Julia Vigl, Joshua Silberstein Bamford, Abbigail Marie Fleckenstein +1 · 1 voice
Psychology · Neuroscience · #Music Therapy and Health #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics #Neuroscience and Music Perception
paper · doi:10.12688/openreseurope.19016.3
<ns3:p>Background Although music is a powerful tool for social bonding, its role in romantic relationships remains poorly understood. This study explored the perceived relevance of music to three aspects of love (intimacy, passion, and commitment) across three relationship stages (attraction, building, and maintenance). Methods Using a mixed-methods approach, 174 participants (83% female, 14% male, 3% other) rated the general importance of music and its relevance to intimacy, passion, and commitment across relationship stages, and responded to open-ended questions reflecting on their music-related experiences at each relationship stage. Results Quantitative ratings indicated that music is perceived most relevant to intimacy and passion, particularly during the attraction and building phases, and less so to commitment and during the maintenance phase. Participants with greater musical expertise and sensitivity to music-related reward rated music as more important overall and more relevant to all aspects of love. Qualitative analysis of 351 coded open responses revealed a set of 55 key musical actions (e.g., listening, sharing and making music) and outcomes (e.g., bonding, (re)connecting, and assessing compatibility) related to participants’ use of music throughout the three relationship stages. Themes such as signalling attraction and emotional communication were most prominent in the attraction phase, whereas bonding through shared musical activities was more common in later phases. Conclusion The present study provides a first systematic investigation of the role of music for different phases and aspects of romantic relationships. The findings provide valuable insights for music research, relationship studies, and therapeutic practice, highlighting the role of music in fostering connection and intimacy in romantic relationships.</ns3:p>