Foundations
The Sonic Bhāva framework is informed by a rich history of research across psychology, musicology, and affective science. Its design synthesises and builds upon several foundational models and theories, most notably.
Shastras (Scriptures)
- Nāṭyaśāstra: The ancient concepts of Rāga, Bhāva, and Rasa in Indian Classical Music are the philosophical cornerstones of this project.
Categorical Models of Emotion
- Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: Plutchik’s model, which organises eight primary emotions into a cone that illustrates their relationships and varying intensity, informs the use of “Associated States” to show how primary emotions can have milder or more intense variations.
Dimensional Models of Emotion
The framework’s core structure is built on dimensional models that describe emotions as existing in a multi-dimensional space.
Russell’s Circumplex Model of Affect: This model proposes that emotions can be plotted on a two-dimensional circle defined by the axes of Valence (pleasantness/unpleasantness) and Arousal (energy/activation). It provides the foundational Quadrant system in the framework.
The Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) Model: Developed by Mehrabian and Russell, this model extends the circumplex model by adding a third dimension: Dominance (control/submissiveness). This provides the three core numerical scores (Valence, Energy, Dominance) for each emotional category in the framework.
Music-Specific Emotion Research
Juslin & Västfjäll’s Multi-Mechanism Theory: Their 2008 paper, ‘Emotional responses to music’, is critical. It outlines how music evokes emotion via multiple pathways (e.g., Brain Stem Reflex, Rhythmic Entrainment, Emotional Contagion, Musical Expectancy). The framework directly connects specific musical attributes like Tempo, Rhythm, and Harmony to these underlying psychological mechanisms.
David Huron’s Theory of Expectancy: Huron’s book, Sweet Anticipation, provides a deep dive into how music manipulates the predictions and how the fulfillment, denial, or surprise of these expectations is a primary source of musical affect. This theory is central to the analysis of Harmony, Melody, and Structure.
The Geneva Emotional Music Scale (GEMS): The work by Zentner, Grandjean, and Scherer in developing GEMS was a landmark in creating a scientifically validated tool specifically for emotions evoked by music. While the Sonic Bhāva is an independent system, the existence and success of GEMS highlighted the need for domain-specific models, and for open and adaptable frameworks.