31 May 2016

Why some music gives us goosebumps

From Afternoons, 2:10 pm on 31 May 2016

It's that feeling when you hear a certain passage of music, when a shiver runs up your spine, or you get goosebumps all over your arms and legs. The experience is called frisson, which is French for "aesthetic chills". Jesse speaks Mitchell Colver is a doctoral student in Education at Utah State University, who has researched why some people respond so physically to music, while others do not.

Get the RNZ app

for easy access to all your favourite programmes

Subscribe to Afternoons

Podcast (MP3) Oggcast (Vorbis)