Music and Pro-sociality

Although organisms are generally self-centered, humans often exhibit prosocial (altruistic) behavior. Humans are unique among species with social structures. Researchers have observed prosocial-cooperative behavior in humans since early development, but the evolution of this behavior has remained unclear. Despite studies on cooperative behavior and altruism, research that elucidates its underlying molecular mechanisms and genetic basis has been lacking. The literature indicates that music is closely related to important human behaviors and abilities such as cognition, emotion, and reward.

The focus of this research topic is to explore the relationship between music and prosocial behavior, with a particular emphasis on how music can lead to altruistic and prosocial decisions. Our aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the cognitive and emotional processes that underlie music-driven prosocial behavior, which can provide insights into the evolution of human prosocial tendencies.

In this research topic, we would like to discuss the following questions:

• Why does music have the ability to induce altruistic and prosocial behavior?
• How do music cognition and emotion shape prosocial behavior?
• What are the functions and mechanisms behind the relationship between music and prosocial behavior?
• What are the evolutionary implications of this relationship?
• Is the prosocial proclivity of music dependent on the music genre? (e.g. do classical and metal music both promote altruism?)

We welcome research contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including neuroscience, psychoacoustics, music psychology, music sociology, ethnomusicology, behavioral endocrinology, and behavioral economics. We encourage the submission of papers of any type, as long as they fall within the scope of this topic. We look forward to collecting diverse research data and fostering new discoveries and insights into the relationship between music and social behavior.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: music, cognition, altruism, emotion, prosocial behaviour

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.