The important role of self in cross-cultural investigations of affective experiences with music

In the last decade, the construct of ‘culture’ was featured very prominently in music cognition research. However, researchers have adopted a narrow conceptualisation and a limited repertoire of methodologies when investigating ‘culture’. The purpose of this article is to expand on recommendations of Jacoby et al. and propose a novel approach to cross-cultural investigations of affective experiences with music. First, I critically examine how culture has been operationalised in previous studies and present a theoretical framework outlining aspects of culture within the music context. My proposed framework recognises that culture manifests in the individual, the music, and the environment and context, and that these components are continually and mutually constituting one another. Second, I argue that the self is constituted in relation to the cultures that one is part of and hypothesise ways that self-construal theory, as a way of operationalising the self, can enhance current understanding of how culture impacts affective experiences with music. The empirical evidence reviewed shows that self-construal influences motivation, cognition, and emotion outside of musical contexts, which may similarly impact music preferences, perceived emotions, and felt emotions with music. Finally, I reflect on the implications of this approach for future developments in music psychology theory and research. Self-construal, as a means of operationalising the self, can potentially elucidate similarities and differences in affective experiences with music both between and within cultural contexts. Examining the self can be a step-change to advance theory and cross-cultural understanding of affective experiences within music psychology.