Psychology of Music Lovers
Why people love Music according to Psychology?
Psychological relation between Humans and Music.
Universe following music or music following the universe?
In the present world Modern technology means it's never been easier to hear
exactly the music we want, whenever we want it. But whatever technology we use,
the reasons we listen to music are universal.
Music grabs our emotions instantly in a way few other
art-forms can manage. It engages us on all sorts of different levels. A few
bars of a song can take us back decades, to a different time and place.
So what are the universal psychological functions of
music? Lonsdale and North (2010) asked 300 young people about their main
reasons for listening to music to see which came out top. Here are the answers,
in order of importance, counted down from six to the number one spot.
6.
To learn about others and the world
Languishing down at number six was the way in which music
teaches us about the world. Music tells us stories about other people and
places and it gives us access to new experiences. Music can teach us how other
people think and even suggest how we might live.
Psychological research backs up the importance of the
information music sends out to others about our personalities. In one study
participants could broadly judge another's personality solely on the basis of
their top 10 songs.
Music is also sending us a message about the state of the
world. Dodds and Danforth (2009) downloaded the lyrics to almost 250,000 songs
composed between 1960 and 2007. They found the lyrics got steadily more depressing
up until 1985 and then levelled off around 1990. This decline was seen across
all musical genres.
5.
Personal identity
In at five is identity. The type of music we like
expresses something about ourselves. Even the broadest genres like rock,
classical and blues begin to give us a picture of a person. We also seem to
discover ourselves through music: it can teach is who we are and where we
belong. Through music we can build up and project an image of ourselves.
One general trend in popular music is towards greater
narcissism. A study has examined the lyrics of the top 10 songs in the U.S.
between 1980 and 2007 (DeWall et al., 2011). This found that lyrics related to
antisocial behaviour and self-focus increased over the period. On the other
hand, over the same time, lyrics related to positive emotions, social
interaction and a focus on others have decreased.
4.
Interpersonal relationships
The fourth most important function of music is its social
dimension. Music is a point of conversation. We listen to it while we're with
other people and we talk to them about it. It's a way of making a connection.
There's little doubt that music and love are inextricably
linked and we use one to get the other. One study tested whether exposure to
romantic music makes a woman more likely to agree to a date Gueguen et al.
(2010). The answer is, emphatically, yes. The percentage of women who agreed to
a date almost doubled from 28% to 52% after they had been played some romantic
music.
The song that did the trick? "Je l’aime à
mourir" (I love her to death) by Francis Cabrel (the research was
conducted in France).
3.
Negative mood management
Tying for the second spot is negative mood management.
When we're in a bad mood, music can help us deal with it. When your mood is
low, there is something cathartic about listening to sad music. Somehow it
helps to know that you're not alone. We use music to relieve tension, express
our feelings and escape the realities of everyday life.
Music certainly seems to help us cope with life's slings
and arrows. There have been many studies on those about to undergo painful
medical procedures. These find that music helps people get through this
stressful and anxious time (e.g. Good et al., 2002).
2:
Diversion
Also coming in at number two is diversion. Music relieves
the boredom of the commute, or of a lazy Sunday afternoon. It's something to do
when we don't know what else to do.
A word of warning though: don't use background music
while you're trying to do something complicated. Research shows that it reduces
performance on standard cognitive tests (Cassidy & MacDonald, 2007). Music
is a distraction and this research found that the most distracting type is
depressing music.
1.
Positive mood management
Right up at the top of the charts is positive mood
management. This is rated people's most important reason for listening to
music: making our good moods even better. It entertains us, relaxes us and sets
the right emotional tone.
Music makes us more hopeful, even after things go wrong
for us. In one study by Ziv et al. (2011) participants were falsely told they'd
done badly on a task. Those who were played some positive music afterwards,
were more hopeful about the future than those left in silence.
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