Uses of music Flashcards
1
Q
what is the affective (emotional) use of music
A
- creates certain mood states
- changes mood ; “match” mood to music
- often in times of stress
- changes level of emotional arousal = alertness, attention
- mental and physical energy
2
Q
characteristics of arousal theory
A
- people have a desire to keep arousal at a moderate level
- music can change level of arousal
- considered optimal
- preference for music that elicits desired level of arousal
- inverted u-shape function
- also… arousal depends on how often we’ve heard certain music
3
Q
the perception of “moderate” can vary… give 2 examples
A
- anxious people - high resting arousal = may prefer quieter music
- sensation seekers - low resting arousal = may prefer heavier music
4
Q
define mere exposure effect
A
- exposure to novel, neutral stimuli increases liking to it
“More we hear, more we like”
5
Q
define satiation
A
when you get sick of a song
6
Q
what are the social uses of music
A
- fitting in ; sense of belonging
- related to friend formation
- shared music taste increases liking for that person
- peer groups in adolescence are often centred around music preference
- conformity strong
7
Q
what research exists to back up the social uses of music
A
- Rentfrow and Gosling (2006)
- music preference way students bond online
- student predict personality characteristics and values based on other’s music preferences - Boer et al (2011)
- same music taste = increased liking of person
- same music taste = assume similar personality/values
8
Q
what is the social identity theory
A
- individuals adopt similar preferences and habits to groups they belong to
- music choices can be a “badge” or form of self-expression (to communicate values, attitudes, beliefs)
- people can use music as a form of social identity because of stereotypes
–> “fixed” way of thinking about people
–> classify others into specific categories
9
Q
are stereotypes real?
A
- yes, to a certain degree
- may be useful for general impressions of others
- but… always best to view others as individuals
10
Q
what are the cognitive uses of music
A
- mental stimulation or intellectual curiosity (individual differences in preferences for simplicity vs complexity of music)
- related to musical training
11
Q
which music do we prefer?
A
- can depend on personality (unique and stable pattern of behaviour)
- look for correlations between music preference and personality traits (Big 5)
