Music has long been recognized for fostering social bonds, with potential benefits for prosocial behaviors and empathy. Empathy, a key predictor of prosocial behaviors, encompasses both cognitive and affective components, involving the mentalizing and sharing of others’ emotional states. While musical training has been linked to increased empathy and prosocial behaviors, the influence of musical sophistication—a comprehensive measure of musical experience—on empathy is less well understood. Moreover, the specific components and pathways through which musical experience influences empathy remain unclear, with existing research relying largely on subjective measures and lacking objective behavioral evidence.
To address these gaps, we conducted two studies using musical training and musical sophistication as indicators of musical experience to explore their impact on trait and state empathy through questionnaires and a behavioral experiment.
In Study 1, we examined the relationship between musical training, musical sophistication and empathy in 130 musicians and 121 non-musicians, using standardized measures including the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index (Gold-MSI) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Musicians scored significantly higher than non-musicians in cognitive empathy components (Perspective Taking and Fantasy). After controlling for gender, musical sophistication was positively correlated with cognitive empathy components (Perspective Taking and Fantasy) and an affective empathy component (Empathic Concern). Furthermore, after controlling for gender, openness, psychological states (depression, anxiety, alexithymia), and subjective social status, path analysis revealed that musical sophistication directly influenced cognitive empathy (Fantasy), while musical training indirectly influenced it via the mediating effect of music sophistication.
Study 2 employed a pain empathy paradigm to assess empathic responses in 59 musicians and 61 non-musicians. Musicians demonstrated a higher alignment between ratings of their own and others' pain when observing others in pain, indicating greater empathy. The musicians' empathic response to pain was serially mediated by music sophistication and Fantasy in cognitive empathy. However, musical sophistication alone did not significantly affect pain empathy when the influence of musical training on musical sophistication was controlled.
In summary, both long-term musical training and musical sophistication positively impact cognitive empathy. Specifically, musical training indirectly enhances the cognitive component (Fantasy) of trait empathy by improving musical sophistication, thereby fostering greater empathy for others’ pain. In contrast, musical sophistication has a direct and stable relationship with cognitive empathy. These findings support the “social bonding” hypothesis, highlighting music’s role in developing empathy and interpersonal skills.
