The forgotten role of absorption in music reward
March 21, 2024 Gemma Cardona, Laura Ferreri, Urbano Lorenzo‐seva et al.
People who find music more rewarding also tend to experience deeper states of absorption—complete immersion that can involve losing track of time or self-consciousness. In two samples totaling 920 participants, scores on the Barcelona Music Reward Questionnaire and the Absorption in Music Scale were strongly correlated (r = 0.78). Four absorption-related items were added to create an extended version of the reward questionnaire. Statistical analyses confirmed the extended measure's reliability, suggesting that including an absorption facet improves the characterization of individual differences in music-related reward and pleasure.