How Does Music Affect Us? - Emotions

         Most of us have an appreciation for music; we have our preferred genres, artists, and songs. We all listen to music for different reasons, depending on how music affects us individually: to make us happy, to relax, to relate to it in sadness, or even as just background music to our lives. Though we all listen to different music, there is something we should all agree on, according to studies by psychologists: the emotions that different types of music elicit. All in all, music affects our emotions greatly.

When you go see a movie, do you ever realize how the sound and music behind the scene are affecting you? Fast-paced, loud music evokes suspense and fear in audience members, while slow, soft music is touching and reminiscent of an uplifting scene. Soundtrack composers are very aware that music has the ability to evoke complex emotions in us, and manipulate moviegoers’ emotions with their music, but did you know that music can express distinct universal emotions?

According to the article, “What Does Disgust Sound Like?” in Psychology Today, there are six universal emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise) that have “tonal counterparts” that humans can identify. The article recounts the study of psychologist Christine Mohn, at the University of Oslo, who asked 115 students to listen to music samples and identify the emotions that correlated with the different segments of music. According to an abstract of Mohn's study, “the results show that six basic emotions are perceivable in musical segments previously unknown to the listeners.” Understandably, happiness and sadness were the emotions most successfully identified; most of us are able to identify the difference between uplifting, happy music, and brooding, sad music. With 115 people, it's hard to tell how universally true this study would be, identifying exactly six universal emotions, but there are many articles and studies that have looked into how music affects us emotionally; one of my favorite continuing blogs is "Why Music Moves Us" from Psychology Today, it's worth a read.

It is agreed among many psychologists and researchers that happiness and sadness are the most identifiable emotions in music; it is understandable that those emotions are the ones we use music with to cope with our moods. We listen to different types and moods of music for different reasons. In my research, I have come across a few sites that suggest using music to help elevate your mood. I know from personal experience that upbeat music, or music I associate with good memories, makes me happy when I need to boost my mood. People also listen to sad music to reflect their sad moods. In a recent study, according to an article from Healthline, people experiencing interpersonal losses (such as a breakup, or relationship struggles) preferred sad music over those dealing with impersonal losses (such as not having Internet access). All of this information is understandable, knowing from our own personal situations, and how we use music in our lives. 

"People who are going through breakups or having relationship problems 

prefer music and experiences that reflect their mood." (Healthline.com)

Because of how music affects our emotions, and how we use it to cope with our emotions, it is clear why it has become a form of healing through therapy. Music therapy not only helps people with brain damage from traumatic situations, but is known to relax and relieve stress in people dealing with anxiety and depression. Music has a powerful effect on our brains, and that is seen in how different types of music evoke different emotions in us.