Mind music

In the iTunes era we have music at our fingertips as we have never had before. Not only can you carry your music with you, but you can choose which favourite tracks from your favourite artist you want. No more are you slave to an entire album or what a radio station wants to broadcast. You can choose music to suit your mood and new research has shown that the link between music and mood is strong.

In the first analysis from the Journal of Consumer Research, two studies were undertaken. Firstly, some people were asked about various frustrating situations while others were not. Then all subjects were asked to rate a range of music. When people had been exposed to frustration they were more likely to prefer angry music to happy or relaxing music. This was especially true when the frustration involved personal violation (like being interrupted) as opposed to impersonal frustrations (like no internet connection).

In the second study done by these researchers, people were asked to recall experiences involving loss. When they then were asked their preference for music, people who had recalled a personal loss (like the end of a relationship) showed a preference for sad music. However, impersonal losses like losing a competition did not lead to such a preference.

In other research from the Journal of Positive Psychology, people were asked to try to improve their mood by choosing to listen to positive music. The researchers found that people could improve their mood through one instance of choosing to listen to positive music. In fact, that improvement in mood continued two weeks later when the subjects came back for further tests.

It all proves in scientific terms what we all instinctively know: that music is intimately intertwined with mood. We choose music that reflects our mood but, equally, we can choose music to positively alter our mood — or negatively alter it for that matter. As Elton John sang, “Sad songs say so much”…but so do the happy ones, so how do you want to feel today?