Rock On for a Better Mood

The University of Queensland’s School of Psychology has contradicted previous studies linking loud and chaotic music to ‘aggression and delinquency’ in a new finding showing that heavy metal in particular can have a positive influence on feelings of anger.

Of course, using heavy metal to calm anger only works when the listener chooses that genre: the study reinforcing why we tend to choose music to suit our moods.

“We found the music regulated sadness and enhanced positive emotions,” honours student Leah Sharman said.

“When experiencing anger, extreme music fans liked to listen to music that could match their anger.

“The music helped them explore the full gamut of emotion they felt, but also left them feeling more active and inspired.

“Results showed levels of hostility, irritability and stress decreased after music was introduced, and the most significant change reported was the level of inspiration they felt.”

These findings could have implications in the use of music therapy in the healthcare setting particularly in the 18-35 years age group, in which the survey was conducted. After all, not everyone finds classical music relaxing or inspiring.