The effect of visual information on subliminal music-induced emotion

Previous research has demonstrated an audio-visual integration effect in supraliminal music-induced emotions. This study explores the effect of visual information on subliminal music-induced emotion and the audio-visual integration effect in subliminal music using combined behavioral and physiological measures. We introduced supraliminal and subliminal visual information to investigate their influence on subliminal music-induced emotion. The results indicate that, compared with audio-only presentation, audio-visual congruent presentation leads to a more intense emotional response, as evidenced by reduced heart rates and skin temperature. The differences in audio-visual congruence were more pronounced for positive music than for negative music, as indicated by reduced heart rates and skin temperature, along with increased alpha and beta power in the prefrontal cortex. In summary, the results suggest that audio-visual integration for subliminal music occurs with both supraliminal and subliminal visual information. Furthermore, positive subliminal music strengthens the perception of congruence between visual and auditory cues.