Can Violent and Derogatory Song Lyrics Cause Negative Emotions?

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Music is something that every person has a different opinion on. Music can range from genres such as blues, jazz, country, rock 'n' roll, hip hop, pop and even electronic. The type of music that you listen to depends solely on what you enjoy or the activity that you are doing. With music surrounding us on every car radio and in every set of headphones, there have been many studies done on how different genres of music can affect people of all ages. Many studies that have been done on the influence of rap and hip hop on crime all have similar results. According to a study conducted and published in the “Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,” violent and derogatory song lyrics can cause negative emotions, and can lead the listener to act out in aggression and violence. Along with this study, researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services challenged the ancient Greek theory, "catharsis hypothesis". Catharsis hypothesis a Greek theory that explains that by one acting out in violence and getting all of their anger out, they will feel more relaxed and not have the urge to act upon these emotions again. When this study was conducted, the exact opposite was proven. The researchers at Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services actually found that aggressive music lyrics increase aggressive behavior, thoughts, and feelings, and can have serious negative long term affects and can even form patterns and have these actions become routine. Some of the effects that come from this music are influencing the listeners' perceptions of society and contributing to the development of aggressive personalities in a community.
Of all the genres of music, rap and hip hop is shown to have th...

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Marikar, Sheila, and Kevin Dolak. "9 Films and Shows That Inspired Real Crimes." ABC News. ABC News Network, 24 July 2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.
Palmer, Ashley. "Violent Song Lyrics May Lead to Violent Behavior." Http://www.apa.org. N.p., July-Aug. 2003. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
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