Blog #4:Darling Argueta- Music&Emotions

How does music effect on people moods/emotions?

Music does have an effect on people's emotions. Through out my research a lot of different views of what emotions could be and how they can be express have come up. Furthermore music has an effect on the part of the brain were emotions are activated.

 Music, Emotions, and Truth:

In this article it talks about how music has been seen as way of people expressing themselves and how music is seen ass away to describe what people are feeling. Music is seen as something natural however music as been seen by scientist as something that has multiple theories. For example the Arousal Theory is “that music has properties capable of arousing emotions or feelings in listeners. The arousal may take place because of some causal mechanism in which sounds and the dynamic properties of music affect the human body and mind” (Elina Packalén). This describes how music music has an effect on people's mind and body. I really agree with this theory because everyone time I heard a sound that has a fast rhythm I would want to dance and I would feel happy, even though it is a theory I think it is true. Another theory is Cognitivist theory which is “the emotions expressed in music as unfelt, necessarily publicly displayed, and objectless.  In Davies’ view, emotions expressed in music are thus different from emotions felt by people.” (Elina Packalén). This describes how music is can be interpret differently by the listener than the artist. I personally disagree with this statement because I think that when an artist want to express their sadness, happiness, struggles the listener would feel it too because of what the lyrics say. The last theory is the Symbol theory which is “we express our emotions in utterance and behavior is at least to some extent dependent on our culture, personality, and temper.” (Elina Packalén). This shows how music is away of identity to people it can represent there personality, their culture, and there temper. I really agree with this Theory because the type of music someone listens too is a part of them and it can describe who they are and were they come from. For example i personally listen to music from my culture and more specifically the country I am from which is a part of me. 

Here is a video of the type of music from the country I am from 

which represent apart of who I am. 

Music and emotion: The effects of lyrics and familiarity on emotional responses to music:

This article describes how music influence what people feel and the way their body reacts. Film makers and artist take advantage of this to be able to sell there product. This article also talk about the fact that music is used as away to express what people are feeling and what the artist are feeling while writing it. Something very interesting about this article is the fact that apparently sad music changes the way people feel, and the way their body reacts. For example sad music causes changes in heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and temperature. Happy music changes people's respiration. While fearful music cause largest change in blood transit, and amplitude. I found this very interesting because when I think about emotions. I think about how people feel not about the way the body reacts to does feelings. I think emotions are connected to the way the way the body reacts depending on the emotions. 

Psychology of music:

This article talk about a study that was done where participants took individual test. They listen to multiple type of music. Where they would them describe what they felt when they listen to a particular type of music. In this study it was discover that only six basic emotions the participants felt which were happiness, anger disgust, surprise, sadness, and fear. However these emotions were not connected to people childhood or personal traits. This means people experience has nothing to do with what there feeling when they listen to music. I disagree with this because their are some songs that I listened to when I was little, and I have memories of my childhood or an event that happen. I think it can change the way people feel with a particular song.  

Here is a video that elaborate on the way music effects people's emotions. 

Links: 

http://www.livescience.com/25611-why-music-moves-us.html

http://0-search.proquest.com.opac.sfsu.edu/docview/305215316/previewPDF?accountid=13802

http://0-pom.sagepub.com.opac.sfsu.edu/content/39/4/503.full.pdf+html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SePL2w5f6dE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71K-jQ4j2E