Introduction
Music is one of the art forms that has developed along with the development of humanity and society. Historically, musical accompaniment has been used for all kinds of events and rituals, so subconsciously, people can feel a connection with music. In addition, musical compositions have a powerful influence on the human mind, connecting with which people can use music for their benefit.
Many researchers note that music can benefit a person’s psychological state, mood, and emotions (Chaturvedi et al. 40; Cook et al. 144). However, this field remains relatively new, so many issues of the impact of music on the human psyche have yet to be fully explored. Thus, this paper will analyze how music can influence people’s emotions and moods and how music can be used for therapeutic purposes.
The Influence of Music on a Person’s Mental State
Relationship Between Music and Emotions
Emotions are the brain’s response to situations and events in a person’s life. In addition, emotions play “a key role in the process of character development of individuals” (Chaturvedi et al. 21). Therefore, the regulation of emotions is an essential aspect of the individual’s personal development. One of the ways to regulate the emotions that people have in different situations is called music.
Various studies show how music can provoke positive emotions and neutralize negative ones. For example, Cook et al. Energetic and rhythmic music has been noted to suppress negative emotions and increase arousal (151). Listening to such music can cause a feeling of joy or happiness and boost a person’s energy. Moreover, many studies show that classical music helps to relax and relieve stress (Naz et al. 16). At the same time, other studies show that the sounds of the violin in classical music can be depressing and exacerbate an individual’s depressive tendencies. Thus, many researchers agree on the influence of music on a person’s psychological state. However, different studies show different results regarding the specific characteristics of this effect.
However, for music to positively affect the emotional state, it is essential that the person as a whole likes it. A study by Naz et al. shows that in most cases, individuals choose music regardless of the research results in this area but based on their preferences (13). Therefore, in the same situation, different individuals can choose different musical compositions and achieve the same results in regulating emotions. In this case, there are doubts about the effectiveness of using music to influence human emotions.
If the extent to which music is used as emotion regulation is primarily individual, then using music as therapy cannot be a universal method. Therefore, assessing how much music helps regulate real-time emotions is primarily left to the individuals. In addition, in some cases, such as in the workplace, listening to music to regulate emotions caused by a particular situation may not be possible due to external restrictions. Therefore, despite music’s generally favorable properties and influences, it cannot be the only way to regulate emotions.
Music as Mood Regulation Tool
Mood can be defined as a person’s continuous, constant emotional state. While emotions arise as a response to a particular situation, the mood is more enduring. In addition, mood often determines the behavior and actions of a person, so regulation is necessary for productive social activity. An individual’s mood depends on the life situation as a whole and is determined by a combination of different factors. Hence, specific processes or factors often cannot drastically change people’s moods. However, a change in certain emotions experienced by a person can indirectly affect the overall mood of the individual.
Listening to music can affect a person’s mood, charging him with positive emotions or, on the contrary, plunging him into thoughtfulness and even some gloom. Music can create and maintain the right mood. It helps to relax or vice versa to energize. However, the duration of the effect of music on improvements in human psychological well-being has yet to be fully explored. Chaturvedi et al. note that research in this field has primarily focused on “real-time emotion detection” (40).
At the same time, the effects of listening to music on general changes in a person’s mood are much more challenging to detect. In most cases, people note that when they listen to music, they feel changes in their emotions. However, most survey respondents need help answering how long these changes are and whether they will be maintained with the cessation of listening to music.
Moreover, the research results and the choice of music to regulate a person’s psychological state largely depend on demographic characteristics. For example, studies conducted by Naz et al. concluded that “listening to music for mood regulation is increased with the age of listener in both genders” (14). It means that at an earlier age, individuals use music not for therapeutic purposes but for entertainment. Under such conditions, a person’s mood is formed not only under the influence of music but also under the influence of other external factors.
In addition, the influence of music on mood is primarily due to the psycho-emotional state of a person. It can positively influence and make a person happier if it is in harmony with this state. Otherwise, the influence of music on a person may be harmful. For example, Cook et al. note that blues and jazz often regulate positive and negative emotions (148). However, listening to this music can only have the desired effect if it suits the general preferences of the individual.
Conducting research in this area can have certain limitations. Most survey results are derived from surveys and may, therefore, be subjective and inaccurate. Furthermore, such surveys must reveal how often music is used to regulate an individual’s emotions and moods (Cook et al. 152). Moreover, the results of the surveys show a discrepancy between public research on the influence of specific genres of music on the human condition and the music that people use for regulation. In most cases, a person is more inclined to choose music based on their preferences and not on general recommendations.
Conclusion
Thus, music affects a person’s emotions and mood. However, the specific characteristics of this influence are difficult to identify, and different studies in this area show different results. In real-time conditions, music can promote positive emotions and suppress negative ones.
However, it is challenging to determine how practical such an effect is for longer-term conditions and mood changes in general. A combination of factors determines a person’s mood, and music can only be one of them. In addition, surveys show that the possibilities of using music as a relation of emotions and moods largely depend on the interests and preferences of the person. Therefore, music may be one of the possible ways to overcome complex emotional states, but not the only one.
Works Cited
Chaturvedi, Vybhav, et al. “Music mood and human emotion recognition based on physiological signals: a systematic review.” Multimedia Systems, vol. 28, 2021, pp. 21-44. Web.
Cook, Terence, Ashlin RK Roy, and Keith M. Welker. “Music as an emotion regulation strategy: An examination of genres of music and their roles in emotion regulation.” Psychology of Music, vol. 47, no. 1, 2019, pp. 144-154. Web.
Naz, Summaira, et al. “Music as Mood Regulatory Strategy among Adults and Adolescents.” Bahria Journal of Professional Psychology, vol. 18, no. 2, 2019, pp. 1-20. Web.