This music research aligns with the larger arena of music therapy.

Read more: The music you choose may say something about your mental health » In a press release, lead study author, Yuna Ferguson, noted that happiness has been linked to better physical health, higher income, and greater relationship satisfaction. In the study, participants were instructed to try to improve their mood, but they only succeeded when they listened to the upbeat music of Copland as opposed to the sadder tunes of Stravinsky.Īnd a happier mood brings benefits beyond feeling good. Other research has focused on the joy upbeat music can bring.Ī 2013 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people who listened to upbeat music could improve their moods and boost their happiness in just two weeks. They compared it to the preference most people have for an empathic friend - someone who truly understands what you’re going through.

The authors of that study suggested that sad music provides a substitute for the lost relationship. He also said the study may help find reasons for both listening to and avoiding sad music.Īn earlier study, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, found that people tend to prefer sad music when they are experiencing a deep interpersonal loss, like the end of a relationship.

“The results help us to pinpoint the ways people regulate their mood with the help of music, as well as how music rehabilitation and music therapy might tap into these processes of comfort, relief, and enjoyment,” said lead author, Tuomas Eerola, Ph.D., a professor of music cognition at Durham University, in a press release. The majority of experiences reported by participants were positive.

Musique film need for speed