Taein Song, Soojin Kang, Kyung Myun Lee

Cochlear Implants (CIs) are widely used to treat severe-to-profound hearing loss. While many studies have examined music perception in CI users, few have focused on their emotional responses to music. Emotional experiences with music are not only personally meaningful but also contribute to quality of life and social connectedness. Since the auditory input from a CI differs from that of normal hearing, it is important to explore how CI users experience music emotionally.

This review summarizes recent studies on musical emotion in CI users, focusing on:

1. Participant characteristics, as CI users’ music experiences vary depending of individual factors.

2. Emotion classification and musical stimulus design, which significantly affect outcomes in emotion research.

3. Limitations and future directions, emphasizing the need for refined methods and deeper investigation into ‘felt emotion (not perceived emotion)’ with music among CI users.

Funding

NRF-RS-2023-00222383, NRF-2023R1A2C100475512