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This is an accepted manuscript (pre-print version) of an article published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the

Arts, 05 April 2018. The “online first” version is available online at:

linguistic fluency and the affect heuristic

on aesthetic and value judgements of

Journal article | Accepted manuscript (Postprint)

This version is available at https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-7282

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Names and Titles Matter: The Impact of Linguistic Fluency and the Affect Heuristic on

Aesthetic and Value Judgements of Music

Manuel Anglada-Tort and Jochen Steffens

Manuel Anglada-Tort, Department of Audio Communication, Technische Universität

Berlin; Jochen Steffens, Department of Audio Communication, Technische Universität

Berlin; Daniel Müllensiefen, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of

London.

Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Manuel Anglada-Tort,

Department of Audio Communication, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

E-mail: m.anglad[email protected]

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It has been shown that titles influence peoples’ evaluation of visual art. However, the

question of whether titles and artist names affect listeners when evaluating music has

not yet been investigated. By using two well-known cognitive heuristics, we

investigated whether names presented with music pieces influenced aesthetic and value

judgements of music. Experiment 1 (N= 48) focused on linguistic fluency. The same

music excerpts were presented with easy-to-pronounce (fluent) and difficult-to-

with negative titles resulted in the lowest judgements. Moreover, music excerpts

presented with neutral and negative titles were remembered significantly more often

than positive titles. Finally, a comparison of the music presented with and without titles

indicated that music excerpts were more liked in the presence of titles than in their

absence. The present research shows different ways in which aesthetic and value

judgements can be influenced by the names presented with music. Results suggest that

like any other human judgement, evaluations of music also rely on heuristic principles

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Names and Titles Matter: The Impact of Linguistic Fluency and the Affect

Heuristic on Aesthetic and Value Judgements of Music

exhibition where four identical plain red paintings are placed next to each other. The

only difference between them is that they are presented with different titles. One

painting is called “The Israelites Crossing the Red Sea”, another “Kierkegaard’s mood”.

There is also a painting titled “Red Square” and another named “Nirvana”. Visitors to

the extent to which titles presented with music impact aesthetic and value judgements.

Thus, the present study endeavours to make its contribution by investigating the effects

of titles and artist names on the evaluation of music.

decisions and judgements, the results of which are essential in determining individuals’

musical preferences and choice behaviour. Ultimately, these pattern of preferences and

judgements will underlie a person’s musical taste and identity. Researchers have been

Hargreaves, 2008, for research reviews). The vast majority of studies have focused on

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the music and the listener, examining the effect of musical characteristics (e.g.,

complexity, familiarity, style, tempo, volume) on judgements and preferences (e.g.,

Berlyne, 1971; 1974; North & Hargreaves, 1995, 2000a; Russell, 1986); as well as

individual aspects of the listener that influence preferences for music, including age,

Gosling, 2003). Comparatively, less attention has been paid to the listening context,

although there are reasons to believe that they play a crucial role in the processes

Lamont, 2011;North & Hargreaves, 2000b; North, Hargreaves, & Hargreaves, 2004).

suggesting that the context wherein people listen to music is crucial to understanding

musical judgements, preferences, and choice behaviour. In support of this view, studies

have identified a number of nonmusical factors, inseparable from the listening situation

in the real-world, that affect people when perceiving and evaluating music. Visual

information is one of the most salient (see Platz & Kopiez, 2012, for a review). There is

evidence that performer’s body movements (e.g., Behne & Wöllner, 2011; Juchniewicz,

2008;), physical attractiveness (Ryan, Costa-Giomi, 2004; Wapnick , Mazza, & Darrow,

2000), appropriateness of dress (Griffiths, 2008; Wapnick et al., 2000), and race and