Comparing effects of sad melody versus sad lyrics on mood
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21511649 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nathan Pond (0000-0002-6064-7637, University of Sussex), David A Leavens (0000-0001-6538-4891, University of Sussex, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 217-230 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology of Music (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0305-7356 • E-ISSN: 1741-3087 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/03057356231189680 |
| OpenAlex | W4386378928 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 38 |
While researchers have consistently found that music can evoke discrete emotions in people cross-culturally, there is little consensus regarding the mechanisms underpinning this effect. The present study aimed to gain further insight into how music influences emotions, investigating whether the lyrics or the melody of a sad piece of non-classical music had a greater influence on mood. The researchers presented a sample of 251 participants with isolated melody, isolated lyrics, and the original version of a sad pop-ballad in turn, measuring the influence of each on mood using the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that all versions of the song significantly reduced mood scores from baseline, with the isolated lyrics and original version of the song reducing mood to a greater magnitude than the melody. The results suggested that both the lyrics and melody of the music influenced mood, though the lyrics appeared to do so to a greater extent. Furthermore, a thematic analysis of open-response questions provided preliminary evidence that the semantic content of lyrics was more influential on mood than the vocal expression of lyrics. Future research should aim to replicate these findings, using both positively and negatively emotionally valenced musical stimuli
Art · Cognitive psychology · Literature · Lyrics · Mood · Diverse Music Education Insights · Music and Audio Processing · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology · Social Psychology
A Review of Music and Emotion Studies
Emotional responses to music
From everyday emotions to aesthetic emotions
Long-term musical group interaction has a positive influence on empathy in children
Emotion induction through music
Universal and culture-specific factors in the recognition and performance of musical affect expressions
Expression, Perception, and Induction of Musical Emotions
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The experience and meta-experience of mood
An argument for basic emotions
| Citations per year | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |