This volume investigates the complex psychological and physiological mechanisms that govern the relationship between music and human emotional response. Editors John A. Sloboda and Patrik N. Juslin, both recognized experts in the psychology of music, compile research from leading scholars to bridge the gap between musicology and affective science. The text provides an integrative framework for understanding how musical structures elicit specific emotional states in listeners.

Experts identify this work as a foundational text for those studying the intersection of cognitive science and music theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored specifically for researchers and advanced students in the field.