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Category: Music
Sad Music And Movies Soothe Relationship Problems
Break-ups and rejection make people reach for a downbeat aesthetic experience.
Break-ups and rejection make people reach for a downbeat aesthetic experience.
Sad music and gloomy movies help soothe the pain of relationship problems.
People having difficulties in their personal relationships are more likely to choose tearjerker dramas and downbeat music.
This is unusual, because sad people usually prefer fun comedies and upbeat music to turn their mood around.
However, there is something about experiencing relationship problems, such as a break-up, that makes people want similar emotional companionship.
The study’s authors write:
“Consumers seek and experience emotional companionship with music, films, novels, and the fine arts as a substitute for lost and troubled relationships.”
In one experiment, people recalled an experience involving a loss.
For some it was a relationship loss, for others it was an impersonal loss, like losing a competition.
Those who thought about losing a competition wanted to be cheered up with happy music.
But, those who thought about losing a relationship wanted sombre music.
The authors write:
“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.”
Another experiment showed that people preferred angry music when they were frustrated by being interrupted, or someone being late.
In other words, a personal hassle made people want negatively valenced music.
However, people who experienced impersonal hassles, like a loss of internet connection, wanted upbeat music to take their mind off it.
So, sadness caused by other people makes us yearn for similar aesthetic experiences.
Maybe this is because being rejected by others makes us crave emotional companionship, which sad music and movies provide.
The study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research (Lee et al., 2013).
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The Music That Helps People Sleep
The most popular genre of music for better sleep.
The most popular genre of music for better sleep.
Two-thirds of people use music to help them sleep.
People believe that music helps them sleep by blocking out noises and distracting them from wakeful thoughts.
Indeed, studies are starting to show that music can be an effective sleep aid.
The three most popular reasons people endorse for how music helps them sleep are:
- “Music helps me to mentally relax.”
- “Music distracts me from the stress of the day just gone.”
- “Music helps me to physically relax.”
People felt that music helps them clear their mind of racing thoughts and gives it something to focus on.
It also puts people in a good mood before they drop off.
For some people, music eases them into a dream-like state, which soon turns to sleep.
For others, music is comforting and soothing.
Some people simply liked to know how long they took to fall asleep and music helped them gauge it.
The most popular genre for sleep
Classical music was the most popular genre people used to help them sleep, followed by rock, pop and acoustic.
Here is the full list, from most to least frequently used:
- Classical
- Rock
- Pop
- Acoustic
- Jazz
- Soundtrack
- Ambient
- Folk
- Instrumental
- Indie
- Meditation
- Metal
- Electronic
- House
The conclusions come from a survey of 651 people of all ages.
The results showed that more than one-third said they used music at least weekly to help them fall asleep.
Many regularly used music for sleep despite not having a disorder of any kind.
The study’s authors write:
“The largest ever survey of everyday use of music for sleep reveals multiple pathways to effect that go far beyond relaxation; these include auditory masking, habit, passion for music, and mental distraction.
This work offers new understanding into the complex motivations that drive people to reach for music as a sleep aid and the reasons why so many find it effective.”
The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE (Trahan et al., 2018).
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