The SERNA Conceptual Standard for Neuroaesthetics and Music Perception: Definitions, Relationships, and Theoretical Integration (SCS-NMP)

The cognitive neuroscience of music and aesthetic experience has evolved into a sophisticated field, yet it remains hindered by terminological fragmentation regarding the nature of "beauty," "aesthetic emotion," and the neural correlates of music perception. Researchers frequently conflate the sensory-perceptual analysis of auditory signals with the higher-order emotional and evaluative processes that constitute an aesthetic experience. This document presents the SERNA Conceptual Standard for Neuroaesthetics and Music Perception (SCS45), a unified theoretical framework designed to standardize definitions and model the causal pathways of musical pleasure and aesthetic judgment. SCS45 establishes 12 canonical terms (SCS45-T01 through T12) that strictly differentiate between basic auditory processing (Acoustic-NCC), emotional entrainment, and aesthetic evaluation (The Aesthetic Triad). The standard introduces the Hedonic Musical Processing (HMP) model, which incorporates 10 testable hypotheses (SCS45-H01 through H10) and maps the bi-directional relationships between the auditory cortex, the reward system (nucleus accumbens), and the default mode network. By resolving 8 documented field inconsistencies—such as the "Cognitivist vs. Emotivist" debate in musical emotion—SCS45 provides a rigorous foundation for cumulative science in neuroaesthetics, facilitating cross-disciplinary research between musicology, psychology, and neuroscience.