Whether you’re a devoted music enthusiast or you just listen to the radio to pass time, we all listen to music. However, when listening to music, nobody stops to think about what they are doing. Nobody stops to contemplate how the music they are listening to affects them psychologically. We just listen to the music and enjoy ourselves. In fact however, a great deal of research has been done to determine the psychophysiological effects of music. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether music can help people who suffer from psychological and medical disorders, Scholars continually debate whether music can influence behavior, and researchers are attempting to understand what is happening in our brain when we listen to music.
When discussing the effects that listening to music can have on people we need to take into account how different genres of music may have different effects. Many people, including religious and community leaders have been warning the public about the dangers of listening to violent music such as rap and metal. They claim that when people listen to violent music it will incite violent behavior. However in my research I have found many conflicting opinions.
Some believe that violent music can cause even extremely violent behavior. In his testimony to a senate subcommittee, Raymond Kuntz, father of a teenager that committed suicide, alleged that heavy metal music was directly responsible for his son’s suicide. According to Kuntz, his son took his life while listening to a particularly violent heavy metal song (Kuntz). Similarly, in a report in the Greenhaven Press, Thomas L Jipping claims that heavy metal and rap music idealize violent behavior and could lead vulnerable young people to commit violen...
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...des. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Link Between Rap Music and Youth Crime and Violence: A Review of the Literature and Issues for Future Research." Justice Professional 11 (Feb. 1999): 339. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Tseng, Ying-Fen, Chung-Hey Chen, and ChihChen S. Lee. "Effects of Listening to Music On Postpartum Stress and Anxiety Levels." Journal Of Clinical Nursing 19.7/8 (2010): 1049-1055. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
U.M. Nater, et al. "Listening To Music and Physiological and Psychological Functioning: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Stress Reactivity." Psychology & Health 27.2 (2012): 227-241. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.
Yehuda, Nechama. "Music And Stress." Journal Of Adult Development 18.2 (2011): 85-94. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
Is music powerful enough to incite antisocial and violent behavior? According Johnson, Jackson and Gatto’s study on the deleterious effects of exposure to rap music, subjects in the violent exposure conditions (rap music) expressed greater acceptance of violence. Subjects in the violent exposure condition also reported a higher probability that they would engage in violence (Johnson). Music plays an i...
In a article “Rap Music's Psychological Effects”, written by Suite 101, studies were conducted to assess how listening to hip hop effected teenagers and young adults, and found that overall, that listening to rap music does not cause aggressive or deviant behavior. Instead hip-hop music did cause violent actions, particularly abuse against women. Additionally, those who watched either violent or non-violent hip-hop videos were more inclined to express materialistic attitudes and favors, potentially acquiring possessions through crime. Studies also found th...
Music and the Brain: Processing and Responding (A General Overview). For any individual who either avidly listens to or performs music, it is understood that many melodies have amazing effects on both our emotions and our perception. To address the effects of music on the brain, it seems most logical to initially map the auditory and neural pathways of sound. In the case of humans, the mechanism responsible for receiving and transmitting sound to the brain is the ears.
My peer-reviewed article emphasizes violent types of music. It aims to find how songs with violent lyrics may affect your personality by inducing aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings. Exposure to violent music is found to be directly related to the expression of aggressive behavior seen in both youth and adulthood. Each study I will discuss are included in the article. I am reporting only on a subset of the studies.
It is true that music has a compact link to our emotions. Music assists people to overcome the bad situations in their life, just like it did for Sonny, the barmaid, or some other people in the Harlem. Music has a tremendous effect on people’s minds because it makes them feel relaxed and comfortable, especially with the soft classical music. It helps distressed people stay smooth and peaceful. In fact, music is a remarkable way to ease stress.
No matter what you listen to, music has a way to “play with our emotions”. For example, if you listen to Tchaikovsky (classical) you may feel calm, and if you listen to Eminem (rap) you may feel hyper. If the music you listen to makes you feel good, it is good for you, Daniel Levitin, a Neuroscientist who focuses mainly on music, explains in an interview.
Morrison, Brent. “Violent Rap Lyrics Can Encourage Violent Behavior.” Popular Culture. Ed. John Woodward, Farmington Hills, MI: Thompson Gale, 2005. 138-140.
Music, a popular outlet amongst the teen community for exploring emotions and blowing off steam. Times have changed, and the way music and lyrics are perceived has developed in a violent fashion. According to new studies, that have occurred, violent music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings. I chose this topic because music is such an influential part of our lives that it often dictates the mood we seize to exist in. If violent thoughts occur, what can come of it?
There have always been discussions of the effects music has on ones behavior, and how it’s related to Psychology. The truth has never really been verified among common knowledge, but it’s usually something that intrigues people. They say heavy metal and rap can make teenagers violent, sad and depressing music can make teenagers sad and depressed, and some say it’s best to listen to classical music when doing schoolwork because it makes your brain more active. There have been many people that reported how music has effects on their behavior. It can lift their mood, “fuel the fire” when they’re angry, or even make it easier for them to fall asleep. People never really get the chance to research the actual science of music, and how it changes people attitudes.
Violent song lyrics increase negative emotions and thoughts that can lead to aggression, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 84, No. 5) [1]. Western Connecticut state university student Eliana Tropeano did a study examining the effects of watching violent rap videos. Tropeanos’ experiment found that videos containing violent lyrics, and degrading behaviors made the individual feel and conduct themselves in a more aggressive manner. The effects of how music provokes violence has been examined by many, this is due to the amount of people listening to music every day. Research has proven that exposure to such violence through the media heightens the youths chances of having similar aggressive thoughts and behaviors. In 1986 N.W.A released their first debut album introducing more explicit lyrics and violent destructive images in their videos such as “F—Tha Police”. This pushed other west coast rappers to begin u...
Vaidya, Geetanjali. "Music, Emotion and the Brain." Serendip. N.p., 2004. Web. 7 Jan 2012. .
In other hand, sound or music could cure one’s stress. Different people deal with different music; some people like rock metal, pop, soul music, jazz and so on. Music could let people’s mind feel calm as well relax. Listening to music can have a very relaxing effect on people’s minds and bodies, especially slow or quiet classical music. This type of music can have a beneficial effect on dealing stress. Relaxing is a way most important to settle down the emotion; when emotion calm and relax, stress will be gone away. As music can absorb our attention, it acts as a distraction at the same time it helps to explore emotions. This means it can be a great aid to meditation, helping to prevent the mind wandering. Greenberg Jerrold give example of how music make one clam, “When people are still baby in their mother’s womb, the heart beat always affect them through which it has bring calm and protective to them.” (2004, p.199). Hence, a sound, a rhythm, a beat has naturally direct send message to one’s mind that bring him calm, relax, safe just like a baby under protection of a mother.
"Emotional Responses to Music: Implicit and Explicit Effects in Listeners and Performers." Psycology of Music. N.p., n.d. Web. April 2011. .
Music has incredible effects on the brain and body! Ever since the beginning of time, music has been around. It can influence the way a person thinks and behaves, and also social interactions. Teens are more susceptible to this (Revatto 1). Music can be used in therapy by helping people with depression, and can even be a more natural way to heal the body (“How Music...” 1). In some cases, songs and melodies can help or make diseases worse. Music is a powerful thing and can affect your brain and many other things in your body in numerous ways.
Cooper, Belle. " How Music Affects and Benefits Your Brain."lifehacker.come. N.p., 11 22 2013. Web. 3