Does Music Training Improve Emotion Recognition Abilities? A Critical Review

Abstract

There is widespread interest in the possibility that music training enhances non-musical abilities. This has been examined primarily for speech perception and domain-general abilities such as IQ. Although social and emotional processes are central to many musical activities, transfer from music training to socioemotional skills remains underexplored. We synthesize results from studies examining associations between music training and emotion recognition in voices and faces. Enhancements are observed for vocal emotions, but not for faces. Most evidence is cross-sectional, however. These findings are discussed considering the design features of the studies. Future research will need to determine the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying music training effects on emotion recognition, the potential role of predispositions, and possible implications to broader aspects of socio-emotional functioning.