Two new studies show music’s impact on mood
Two new studies reveal the powerful affect music has on our psyches: the first says that sad music might help you feel better; the second that trying to be happier works when listening to upbeat music.
“Emotional experiences of aesthetic products are important to our happiness and well-being. Music, movies, paintings, or novels that are compatible with our current mood and feelings, akin to an empathic friend, are more appreciated when we experience broken or failing relationships,” write authors Chan Jean Lee (KAIST Business School), Eduardo B. Andrade (FGV School of Administration), and Stephen E. Palmer (University of California, Berkeley) in a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
Prior research has reported that consumers in a negative mood prefer cheerful music to counter their negative feelings but under certain circumstances, sad music creates an experience of empathy.
But, using music to bust out of a sad mood is still helpful—Judy Garland’s version of “Get Happy” has encouraged people for decades. Recent research at the University of Missouri discovered that an individual can indeed get happier with happy music. “Our work provides support for what many people already do—listen to music to improve their moods,” says lead author Yuna Ferguson.
She does caution: “Rather than focusing on how much happiness they’ve gained … people could focus more on enjoying their experience of the journey towards happiness and not get hung up on the destination.”
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