the effects of music on people

8/12/2019 The Effects of Music on People

1/7

The Effects of Music on People's Behavior - Todd Linder

SPCM 2360 Dr. Roger Stahl

DOES MUSIC REALLY AFFECT PEOPLE S BEHAVIOR?Music actually does not directly affect the behavior of those exposed to it. As

someone who listens to music at least every once in a while, you would know thatimmediately when you turn on B.o.B or Taio Cruz that you are more than likely notgoing to break out into dance. It may happen, but there are other controlling factors: theenvironment that you are in, the people that you are with, what you are wearing, theseexternal factors outside of the music will help to determine your behavior.

Music however has been proven to affect people's emotions. As you listen to theblues, it might create more mellow feelings, or jazz may relax you more. Some listen toclassical music while they are studying in order to concentrate better, it is all of matter of

personal preference. However, these emotions can sometimes lead to action, and thenin turn the music has actually affected your behavior, more indirectly though.

This short research paper posted goes into further detail as well as referencingmany studies conducted by doctors and professors in Europe and in North America.

Check out the informative yet somewhat comical video under the "Videos" tab inthe sidebar or see theMusic and Behavior video in higher quality on YouTube.Unfortunately, the music and commentary at the beginning and the end of thevideo were cut off in the YouTube version but there is no important information ineither of those parts.

RESEARCH COMPLETED AND EXPLAINED BASED UPON THESISTHESIS: Music affects human behavior in some way.

The purpose of this study was to determine the affect that music has on peoplesbehavior, specifically music in the foreground, with respect to tempo, volume intensityand musical modes. The study of atmospherics, specifically Muzak as a case study,sparked my interests in the effects that music can have on behavior. Over the course ofthe research, I looked into many related studies to support my theory that music doeshave an impact on an individuals behavior and that it may be possible to manipulate

that individual in some way by playing certain types of music.

Music has been used to effect emotions based on major verses minor modes inmany ways. The major mode has been used in musical theory for centuries to conveyan uplifting spirit and rejoicing. Take for example the hymn, All Glory, Laud and Honor,written circa 820 by Theodulph of Orleans. The hymn only speaks of the praises of Godand there is nothing that refers to human deprivation or inadequacy. The hymn is alsoperformed in the church in the key of G major. Earlier research by Hevner in the 1930s
http://behavinglikemusic.webs.com/http://behavinglikemusic.webs.com/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSW8__RxjbYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSW8__RxjbYhttp://behavinglikemusic.webs.com/http://behavinglikemusic.webs.com/


2/7

that showed major modes to convey feelings of happiness, merriment, sprightliness,and playfulness, whereas music in the minor mode was more likely to suggest sadness,dreaminess, tenderness, and yearning (Sutton,420). The minor mode has often beenused in classical music and other genres to convey a feeling of longing or sadness.Many war movies, especially World War II movies like Saving Private Ryanand the TV

series Band of Brothers, will use classical pieces in the minor key to indicate mourningafter a devastating battle to increase the audiences ability to relate with the charactersin the story.

Emotions often will affect how individuals act unless these emotions aresuppressed. Music however has a tendency to bring out emotions rather than suppressthem and the modes can determine which kinds of emotions are increased. A study wasdone by Dr. Kendall Roberts and his team of medical doctors to determine anindividuals emotional response to music and how it is associated with certain types ofbehavior. Since different pieces of music can elicit different emotional responses anddifferent types of music have been associated with risk-taking behaviors, it is possible

that risk-taking teens also have a greater intensity of emotional response to musicstimuli (Roberts, 50). In their findings, they could determine that behavior is indirectlyaffected by certain types of music, specifically the genres of music that the subjectslistened to. Genres of music can usually be associated with certain keys and tempos.For example, blues is usually a slower style and often in the minor key whereas thebluegrass genre will usually be represented by quicker speeds.

Evidence of this effect of tempo on both emotion and action has beendemonstrated in a study conducted in the UK by Nicola Dibben of the University ofSheffield. This study was done to examine the effect of music on people while they weredriving. Musics ability to reduce stress is well documented, and music which induces

listeners into a positive and relaxed mood has the potential to elicit more consideratedriving, since people in positive moods tend to behave more altruistically (Dibben, 584).

This study shows that not only can music that is in the forefront induce positive andrelaxed emotions, but also that the behavior associated with the emotion is reflected ina completely unrelated activity.

As seen in many of the previous studies, music in many ways has the ability toaffect peoples emotions and in turn sometimes their behavior, but the indirect effect ofbehavioral control through emotions is not the only way that music can affect action. Astudy at the University of Plymouth was conducted to examine what effects differentvolume intensities and tempos would have on someone running on a treadmill. Theresearchers observed that when people exercise to music, they typically select thefaster, louder music rather than slower and softer pieces. This, the group perceived,suggested that there may be something about the relationship between music andexercise performance. Judy Edworthy and Hannah Waring of the School of Psychologyat Plymouth found that listening to music can help with performance in certain ways,mainly in relation to the song's tempo.


3/7

Thus, heart rate increases if the volume of fast music is increased, but not if thevolume of slow music is increased. This, together with the main effect found for tempo,suggests that tempo is more important than loudness in increasing heart rate, but thatat the higher levels of heart rate (fast music) increasing the volume can add a littlemore to heart rate (Edworthy, 1606).

While tempo and volume do not seem to affect performance overall, this study did showthat these two things together, in the correct mixture, can increase the heart rate, whichin turn, when mixed with emotions that are enhanced by the mode, could affect aperson's behavior.

Further studies have been done in this specific area to see how certain types ofmusic affect performance and behavior. As seen in the previous study, music can affectbodily functions such as increase heart rate, but tempo can also effect the quality ofperformance in more demanding activities. Neurophysiological evidence indicates thatfast tempo music played during performance of a demanding visual selective attention

task leads to enhanced stimulus evaluation, reflected in reduced latency of visualattention event-related potentials (Bishop, 62). The study conducted by three teachersat Brunel University in London, England, examined a sample of fifty-four tennis playersand their performance based on what they listened to before their matches. The threepredicted that faster tempi elicited more pleasant and aroused emotional states andhigher volume intensity not only supplemented that, but also resulted in faster choicereaction time (CRT) performance.

increased arousal and positive emotions have both been shown to accompanysuperior sports performance (Cerin, 2003; Jones, 2003; Tod, 2003). Music listening maybe an appropriate and acceptable strategy for athletes wishing to engender a positive

and aroused emotional state; fast tempo and loud intensity may maximize the arousalcomponent of the emotional response (Bishop, 74).

In the three areas of focus for this research, some trends began to emerge. While majorand minor modes had more of an effect on the test subjects' emotions, these emotionsand even behavior could be more easily manipulated by changing the tempi andintensity levels. It is important to note that the research here has not correlated music tobetter performance on the sporting field necessarily, but it has been associated withcertain emotional responses, which are more likely to bring out certain behaviors.Among possible explanations for findings such as these is a suggested link betweenperception of music pitch and mental, spatial performance, in that music cognitionappears to be mapped onto motor areas of the cerebral cortex (Sutton, 421). There isscientific evidence that music may have a slight affect on movement and reaction time,but this is not necessarily directly linked to specific behavior.

Music has been a form of art that people have listened to and enjoyed forthousands of years, no matter how simple or complex. This study was conducted toexamine the idea that music has a direct effect on people's behavior and may be usedto even control behavior to a certain extent. Rather than controlled behavior, the


4/7

research pointed to the idea that based on the mode, tempo, and volume intensity of themusic being played, music will affect a person's emotional state, which in turn may in asmall way produce a certain behavior based on which behaviors that person associateswith the emotions created. Therefore, musical modes, intensities, and tempi may or maynot affect an individual's behavior, but it will directly impact their emotional state at some

level.

Does Music and Lyrical Content InfluenceHuman Behavior?By Kevin C. Liljequist

Music wakes us up in the morning, makes us want to dance, soothes us when we arefeeling sad, and gets on some folks nerves in the elevator. From infancy to adulthoodmusic is an important part of our lives. Mothers sing lullabies to babies, toddlers andchildren play "ring around the rosy," and teenagers become absorbed in songs theybelieve help better define them during their rocky transition into adulthood. Music cansummon a wide range of emotions, most of which are wonderful. Yet there is somemusic that communicates harmful health messages, especially when it reaches avulnerable audience. Music is but one part of our popular culture. Whatever impactmusic has on behavior is bound to be complex and variant. The best way to determinewhat that impact is, what influence violent lyrics exert, and how such lyrics fit into theimpact of popular entertainment is to encourage research, debate, and discussion. Thiskind of public issue demands a public inquiry.

We know music by itself has an effect on people. From low chords to high chords, fromfast beats to slow beats, music has an impact on behavior. Music in general tends toreduce or delay fatigue (Diserens 260). Music has been proven to increase muscularendurance (Diserens 274). Music has no definite effect on precision or accuracy ofmovement, if the rhythm is not adapted to the rhythm of the work (Diserens 261). Musichas been shown to reduce accuracy in typewriting and handwriting, the results beingshown in a increased number of errors (Diserens 262). Music can speed up suchvoluntary activities as typewriting and handwriting (Diserens 263). Music can acceleraterespiration (Diserens 271). Music has also been proven to manipulate electrical

conductivity in the human body (Diserens 274).

Today's music and lyrical content have undergone dramatic changes since theintroduction of rock and roll more than forty years ago. These changes have become anissue of vital interest and concern for society in general. During the past four decades,music and lyrical content have become increasingly explicit with references to sex,drugs, and violence. The anti-social themes common in popular music have compelledsome adults to rally against it, especially heavy metal and rap. If parents in the fifties


5/7

didn't like Elvis' gyrating hips, those same people would be astounded at how rapidlywe've reached the "anything goes" mentality. With the advent of MTV and VH-1, notonly do we get to listen to violent lyrics, but we also get to see it acted out in full color.Historically, there has been a distrust of youth oriented music.

Twenty-five centuries ago, Plato said, "Any musical innovation is full of danger to thewhole state, and ought to be prohibited" (Ballard 47). In a book I am reading onAbraham Lincoln, the author states, "who writes the nation's songs shapes the nation'ssouls" (qtd. in Temple 240). I think if this is not true in whole, it is certainly true in part.

Heavy metal lyrics often have themes of alienation, retribution, and angst (Ballard 476).The lyrics contain references to sex, drug use, suicide, Satanism, and other violence.From a listeners standpoint the lyrics are loud and the music is guitar driven. The lyricsare sometimes hard to understand and open to interpretation. Rap lyrics are chanted incadence. Rap lyrics are accompanied by rhythmic music that may include scratching orspinning. Scratching is dragging a phonograph needle across a record. The lyrics of rapmusic contain objectionable language, often relating to the problems of urban life and

include themes of sex, drug use, misogyny, or violence (Fishoff 805). My concern is notwith popular music, or even with a particular genre, such as heavy metal or rap. Myconcern is with those songs that glorify violence, racism, murder, mayhem, andcondone the abuse of women. I am not emphasizing any type of censorship, but I amemphasizing some type of responsibility or citizenship. Music is important to this cultureand it's identity. Music helps define social and sub-cultural boundaries. Today's cultureface far more difficulties and dangers than there counterparts did just a generation ago.Over the last thirty years, violent juvenile crime has jumped by more that five hundredpercent (United States Senate, Committee on Governmental Affairs 1998).

Teen suicide has tripled. Unwed teen pregnancy has skyrocketed. Casual drug use

among teens has jumped nearly fifty percent over the last four years alone (UnitedStates Senate, Committee on Governmental Affairs 1998). A wide majority of adultssurveyed in a 1997 report from Public Agenda, "Kids these days: What Americans reallythink about the next generation," decried sex and violence in the media as threatenin. tothe well being of young people.

Till recently no studies showed cause and effect relationship between music and lyricalcontent influencing behavior. Now more than one-thousand scientific studies andreviews conclude that significant exposure to violent music and lyrical content increasethe risk of aggressive behavior in certain children and adolescents (American Academyof Pediatrics, Committee on Public Education 342). The explicit lyrics desensitize the

listener to violence and give the impression that the world is a meaner place than itreally is (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Public Education 341).

Today's teenagers spend four to five hours a day listening to music or watching it ontelevision (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications 1219). Asurvey of 14 to 16 year olds in ten different southeastern cities showed that the timebeing spent listening to music was on an average of forty hours per week (AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications 1219). One Swedish study


6/7


7/7

Given that the average teen listens to music around four to five hours a day, it appearsyoung fans of such music will spend a good chunk of their formative years tuning intomessages of violence and hate.

If all this is not bad enough, the music recording industry has been investigated by theF.T.C. into whether it is marketing this explicit content to the most popular teen venuesin all mass media. The commissions review of ad placements revealed no change inindustry practices since a September 2000 report investigating their marketing practices(Federal Trade Commission, December 2001). Marketing documents for thirteen explicitcontent labeled recording included plans for extensive advertising in the most popularteen venues in television, radio, print, and online media (Federal Trade Commission,December 2001).

Just before the report was issued, the Recording Industry Association of America hadrecommended that recording companies not advertise explicit content labeledrecordings in media outlets with a majority audience under the age of seventeen.Shortly after the release of that report the Recording Industry Association of America

withdrew that recommendation. In the music industry's view, advertising targeted to allages is consistent with parental advisory labeling program which, unlike the ratingprograms for movies and electronic games, does not specifically designate an age forwhich labeled music may be inappropriate (Federal Trade Commission, December2001).

I believe music lyrics have an impact when illustrated in music videos. According tocontent analysis, up to seventy-five percent of concept music videos contain sexuallysuggested material (American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Communications1221). Since teenagers spend four to five hours a day listening to or watching musicvideos, I believe that music will in some way influence them. Many teens already copy

fashion styles that they see on their favorite music artist. For some teenagers, music isjust music, but for others it is a way to enhance their mood that they are already in,which can lead to negative results. Kids should be aware of the negative effects thatmusic can bring, as well as the positive effects. Parents should have insight on whattheir kids are listening to and why they choose to listen to a particular type of music. Themusic video industry should be encouraged to produce videos and public servicemessages with positive themes about relationships, racial harmony, drug avoidance,nonviolence, sexual abstinence, pregnancy prevention, and avoidance of sexuallytransmitted diseases. Performers should be encouraged to serve as positive rolemodels for children and teenagers. Although music usually does not directly causeviolence, it encourages its audience through suggestive lyrics and images.

the effects of music on people

Documents