Does Music Affect Your Mood
Does music affect your mood? Many studies have shown that the simple answer is yes. Music is an international language in a sense. You may not be able to speak Korean, but the song, Gangnam Style, was popular in the United States for some time. If a tune is catchy and people can dance to the song, everyone can speak music. After all, music has been around for a really long time.
The amount of activity that popular sites such as, Pandora or Spotify also suggests how much music is a part of our culture today. Studies continue to show that music is an important part of our health. According to Ferguson’s research in The Journal of Positive Psychology, people can improve their overall happiness in just two weeks by listening to the right music. In his study, he conducted an experiment which involved having people listen to music that was upbeat as well as sad music such as, Stravinsky. The participants that listened to upbeat music, including Copland and other similar artists, reported feeling happier and ready to have fun. The other participants who listened to music that wasn’t as upbeat reported feeling “gloomier” and not as happy before. In a similar study, The Journal of Consumer Research explained that people who had just been through a sad event in their life heavily preferred sad music over happy music. In the same study, the participants who had been through a sad or frustrating event such as, breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, getting in trouble, or being stood up on a date explained that after listening to sad music, they felt a little better about what had happened. For this reason, people often use music as therapy.
On a similar note, music has an enormous effect on our brain. It can often trigger multiple secondary responses such as, moving with the music or tapping your foot to the beat. This happens due to the stimulation of neurons in the motor cortex of your brain. Moving to the music or tapping your foot can,
The amount of activity that popular sites such as, Pandora or Spotify also suggests how much music is a part of our culture today. Studies continue to show that music is an important part of our health. According to Ferguson’s research in The Journal of Positive Psychology, people can improve their overall happiness in just two weeks by listening to the right music. In his study, he conducted an experiment which involved having people listen to music that was upbeat as well as sad music such as, Stravinsky. The participants that listened to upbeat music, including Copland and other similar artists, reported feeling happier and ready to have fun. The other participants who listened to music that wasn’t as upbeat reported feeling “gloomier” and not as happy before. In a similar study, The Journal of Consumer Research explained that people who had just been through a sad event in their life heavily preferred sad music over happy music. In the same study, the participants who had been through a sad or frustrating event such as, breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, getting in trouble, or being stood up on a date explained that after listening to sad music, they felt a little better about what had happened. For this reason, people often use music as therapy.
On a similar note, music has an enormous effect on our brain. It can often trigger multiple secondary responses such as, moving with the music or tapping your foot to the beat. This happens due to the stimulation of neurons in the motor cortex of your brain. Moving to the music or tapping your foot can,
Cited: Kavner, Lucas. "Radio Makes People 'Happier ' Than TV or Internet, New Study Finds." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 July 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2014 "How Music Affects Our Moods." Healthlines RSS News. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014 Wilkins, Alasdiar. "What Happens to Your Brain under the Influence of Music." Io9. N.p., 09 July 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2014