The cognitive impact of music

Catabrie Boisvert

Published, December 6th, 2024

 

 

Music is frequently changing and alternating based on the time and those who listen to it. Different forms of music can alter the way the listener perceives the lyrics and beats. Music has an immense impact on those that listen to the rhythms, as some carry a heartwarming meaning while others talk about explicit details without even realizing it. Many people use music as a way of expressing their emotions by filling the silence with chords that reflect their feelings. The brain tracks those feelings and allows for a change in mood based on how the body reacts to these interpretations. The lyrics hidden within the measures can provide a rewarding experience for listeners, making them feel heard. People who struggle with mental health issues like anxiety have used music as a relaxant. Music significantly influences those who listen, altering their emotions and behaviors in response to the cognitive responses triggered by the auditory stimuli. 

 

“Musical behavior is a profound facet of human expression that encapsulates one’s thoughts, emotions, and feelings. By engaging with music as an auditory medium, individuals can communicate and connect with others, experiencing a diverse spectrum of emotions and sentiments” (Chong, et al, 2024, p. 1). Looking into how music alters the emotions and behaviors of individuals through different beats, rhythms, and lyrics allows us to get a better understanding about how the brain and the body communicate through repetition. Lyrics not only tell a story to the listener, but also enable them to connect and share their feelings and experiences. By reliving these shared experiences, the listener can alter their body's response to the music, causing them to feel either sad or happy. “ At the physiological level, music is involved in down-regulating negative emotions, heightened arousal, or uplifting energy levels. At the psychological level, anxiety and stress responses are key variables that are subject to modulation or sedation. In the affective domain, changes in emotions are involved, whether suppressed, induced, or expressed, including coping strategies to improve or stabilize mood. At the cognitive level, the focus is on mental processes such as conscious effort, reappraisal, rumination, or introspection” (Chong, et al, 2024, p. 10).

 

The Public Eye

In response to these questions, I conducted interviews with a few individuals to understand their perspectives on music. People can hold a variety of beliefs, but they can also share similar ones. The first question was, "Why do you listen to music?" All of the participants said that music is beneficial to them in some way, and that’s why they listen. Following the first question I asked, “Do you think that listening to different genres of music can alter how you feel? And why?”, Lily Responded that “I do, if you listen to sad music it makes you feel better when you are upset because it's a good way to get your emotions out. If you listen to happier music it puts you in a better mood and can make you have a good day”. Much like Lily, Kendall agreed that “different genres can evoke different emotions because of the beat or the lyrics of the songs within that genre”.Both individuals believe that when music is alter that it can also alter your mental state. As the interviews progressed the responses were similar to each other that music does in fact alter your perception of mind but it can also be used beneficially. Because of this I asked question four with an emphasis, “Do you think that music can have health benefits? If so, why?”  When asking this I wanted to hear how the public responds to music used in health forms as most people listen to music for non health related reasons. “It’s been proven that in dementia patients if you play music for them that it can bring back old memories and give them the ability to at least remember all the words again while the music play at least” (Tiffany Boisvert, 2024). When Tiffany responded, she brought up that listening to music can help improve the memory of patients with dementia as they are able to remember the beats and patterns hidden within the song. Much like my research, these participants are able to realize that although not for the main reason of creating music, it still has a beneficial aspect. 

 

Duman asserts that “The context in which music is experienced can also affect how it affects physiological arousal. When it comes to music, various styles can arouse people to different degrees. To give an example, the effect of music on arousal during exercise may differ from the effect of music during a relaxing session. Or, music that is quick  and  energetic tends to raise arousal levels, whereas music that is quiet and soothing might have a calming impact and lower arousal levels. These reactions stem from preexisting neural connections pertaining to the basic  components of music, such as pitch, tempo, timbre,  and  loudness (Gabrielsson, 1993)” (Duman, 2024, p. 1118). Not only can music influence your mood, but it can also influence the level of arousal you experience. Music changes how the brain works, affecting how you feel and behave. “Music can prime various aspects, including emotional states, cognitive processes, and even social behaviors. Priming occurs when listening to a particular piece of music or a specific genre activates associated thoughts, memories, or emotions, which can then influence subsequent perceptions or actions. For instance, listening to sad music may prime individuals to experience a more introspective or melancholic mood, whereas listening to aggressive or fast-paced music may prime individuals to feel more energized in exhibit more vigorous movements or behaviors” (Duman, 2024, p. 1119). When Sayfa discusses this, they focus on how different forms of music alter the mind's ability to process different behaviors. The human body will respond differently depending on the individual, as well as the forms and patterns that the cognitive process is exposed to.

Listening to music can create a variety of experiences for individuals, as the effects may be similar but vary from person to person. “In music, psychology, scholars have puzzled for a long time people enjoying listening to sad music. State of the art knowledge indicated that the seeming paradox of seeking and enjoying sad music is essentially not a paradox, but definition issue, with the previous views on sad music, being too narrow... after all, listening to sad music and lead to strong feelings of beauty and intense feelings of being moved, which can make listening to this music a predominantly positive experience” (De Leeuw, et al, 2024, P. 627). Listening to music that isn't upbeat doesn't necessarily mean it lacks beauty or benefits people in the same way a happier song would. Much like De Leeuw, Sizer feels the same way about music being impactful no matter the beats. ”We argue that the music often plays a larger role in driving listener 's experience and interpretation that the lyrics do. The music, as it were, sets the tone. Some listeners may experience the song as an entering happy one, attending only its musical feathers- which include the melodic features of the lyrics. Other, more attentive, listeners may in fact attend to both music and the semantic content of the lyrics” (Sizer and Dadlez, Why, Delilah? When music and lyrics move us in different directions, 2024). Looking into how different types of music affect people in different ways, we can see that not only the beats and rhythms, but also the lyrics can have an impact. Listening to both upbeat and slower songs can improve an individual's mood as they find beauty and connections to the different genres in their own way. An emotional connection to the music that someone listens to can create an experience that allows for the brain to de-stress and remember memories and experiences that individuals wish to relive.

Reading various opinions and research on the impact of music on the human body, both physically and mentally, reveals that despite the diversity of people and genres, music remains beneficial for all. People can feel their emotions more or less intensely after listening to music. The brain uses music to perceive rhythmic patterns and recall the past. Music allows for the brain to relax, but it also helps it express emotions and behaviors. “Listening to meaningful music will be stronger related to a) moral motivations and b) feelings of human connectedness, compared to listening to pleasurable music. Feelings of being moved do not only lead to a desire to help others but also to actual altruistic behavior ... More specifically, individuals who are moved are more likely to help others and donate to charity. With music potentially being a powerful motivator for moral motivation, we also hypothesized that” (De Leeuw, et al, 2024, p. 631). According to De Leeuw, Janicke-Bowles, and Ji's research, listening to music not only improves brain function but also increases the likelihood of good behavior, such as helping others. Music impacts the human body cognitively in many ways that are beneficial to all individuals who are willing to listen.

 

References

Chong, H. J., Kim, H. J., & Kim, B. (2024). Scoping Review on the Use of Music for Emotion Regulation. Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), 14(9), 793. https://doi-org.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/10.3390/bs14090793 

 

de Leeuw, R. N. H., Janicke-Bowles, S. H., & Ji, Q. (2022). How Music Awakens the Heart: An

`Experimental Study on Music, Emotions, and Connectedness. Mass Communication & Society, 25(5), 626–648.  

https://doi-org.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/10.1080/15205436.2021.1956542

 

Duman, N. (2023). The Transformative Power of Music: Exploring Its Influence on 

Cognition, Behavior and Emotions. International Anatolian Journal of Social 

Sciences / Uluslararasi Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 7(4), 1115–1127.

 

Pridy, C. B., Watt, M. C., Romero-Sanchiz, P., Lively, C. J., & Stewart, S. H. (2021). 

Reasons for Listening to Music Vary by Listeners’ Anxiety Sensitivity Levels. 

Journal of Music Therapy, 58(4), 463–492. 

https://doi-org.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/10.1093/jmt/thab014 

 

 

Sizer, L., & Dadlez, E. M. (2024). Why, Delilah? When music and lyrics move us in 

different directions. Philosophical Studies, 181(8), 1789–1811. 

https://doi-org.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/10.1007/s11098-023-02074-7