The impact of positive thinking has been a subject of focus for psychologists and self-help gurus for ages now, but what about positive listening? Is there such a thing as intentionally listening to positive-sounding music to boost your mood?
We already know music that gives us the chills helps to release dopamine, but a separate study found that people who intentionally listened to upbeat music improved their moods and happiness in just two weeks. Aside from all the wonderful creativity and freedom creating music can bring us, it also improves our memories.
That kind of makes sense when you think of music as a sort of universal language, right? Perhaps the healthiest thing we can do is simply enjoy it and bask in a downright catchy chorus.
Stay updated with the latest news from our hospitals and clinics. Get a daily dose of inspiration and health tips by following us on Facebook! Personalized care for our smallest and most vulnerable patients. Experience the trials and triumphs from one patient to the next. The current favourite theory among scientists who study the cognition of music — how we process it mentally — dates back to , when the philosopher and composer Leonard Meyer suggested that emotion in music is all about what we expect, and whether or not we get it.
This, Meyer argued, is what music does too. The constant dance between expectation and outcome thus enlivens the brain with a pleasurable play of emotions. Why should we care, though, whether our musical expectations are right or not? Making predictions about our environment — interpreting what we see and hear, say, on the basis of only partial information — could once have been essential to our survival, and indeed still often is, for example when crossing the road.
And involving the emotions in these anticipations could have been a smart idea. On the African savannah, our ancestors did not have the luxury of mulling over whether that screech was made by a harmless monkey or a predatory lion.
The idea that musical emotion arises from little violations and manipulations of our expectations seems the most promising candidate theory, but it is very hard to test. We expect rising melodies to continue to rise — but perhaps not indefinitely, as they never do. How does our brain make those musical templates? How long do we have to listen to a song before we know whether we like it?
Why did my sister and I have such drastically different musical tastes growing up, even though our exposures were pretty much the same? But for now the study has given Salimpoor a new way to think about what happened to her that day in the car. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. Go Further. Animals Wild Cities This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city. Animals This frog mysteriously re-evolved a full set of teeth. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London.
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Environment COP26 nears conclusion with mixed signals and frustration. Every month in our Mind Experiment, Martha Roberts invites you to road-test research on feeling good. The project Music can make us feel uplifted, contented and can improve our health , too. The theory Music can lift the spirits. Try it out Listen to music every day. Just 25 minutes every day for at least 10 days will help to prevent back pain and make you sleep better. Keep up the habit beyond 10 days if you can.
Play music while working out.
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