If an emotionally salient moment occurs when a musical phrase resolves as expected, which theory helps explain this experience?

• A. Meyer7s expectancy theory
• B. Referentialism
• C. Classical conditioning
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

Expectancy and resolution drive emotional moments in music. Meyer's theory says listeners form probabilistic expectations about what comes next based on tonal context and learned regularities. When a musical phrase resolves as anticipated, the predicted outcome is fulfilled, bringing a sense of closure and a rewarding feeling. This fulfillment reduces prediction error and releases tension, which is why the moment feels emotionally salient. Referentialism ties emotion to external associations, and classical conditioning relies on learned pairings over time, neither of which specifically accounts for the immediate emotional impact of a satisfying resolution in a musical phrase.