Sad music improves the emotional state

Find comfort despite sad music

11/11/2014

Although sadness is perceived by most people as unpleasant, sad music is quite popular. In a recent study, researchers Liila Taruffi and Stefan Koelsch from Freie Universität Berlin investigated why many people seek and appreciate sadness in music. Their results are in the trade magazine „PLOS One“ released.

Sad people usually do not want to be human, and sad people often have an oppressive effect on their own mind. Many try to comfort and cheer up here. Listening to sad music and giving free rein to emotions, therefore, seems like the wrong path in times of mourning at first sight. But the current study concludes that „Listening to sad music can have beneficial emotional effects such as the regulation of negative emotions and moods.“ The sad music obviously gives the listeners comfort, according to the researchers.

Positive effect of sad music
In an online survey, the scientists had asked 772 volunteers from different cultures to their musical preferences. Based on 76 questions Liila Taruffi and Stefan Koelsch determined which music the subjects prefer in which situations and what effect this has on their emotional state. According to the researchers, the results show four different positive effects of the sad music. She conveys a feeling of empathy, stimulates the imagination, helps with emotion regulation and has none „Real-life impact“. The listeners can let their mind wander at the sad songs and feel they share their emotions with someone. They put the artists together in a sad situation without having to fear real consequences of the sad fantasies they lived through.

Nostalgia instead of sadness
Although most subjects prefer sad music when they have heartache. But surprisingly, nostalgia instead of sadness is the most common emotion caused by sad music, the researchers explain the effect. Nostalgia is called by them „bittersweet“ Emotion, which has both positive and negative aspects at the same time, such as joy and grief. The nostalgia is also closely linked to the retrieval of autobiographical memories. Especially for „Persons with a high degree of empathy and low emotional stability“ have the sad music a positive effect. On the basis of the new findings, sad music could possibly also be increasingly used for therapeutic purposes in the future, although it remains to be clarified whether the positive effect is confirmed, for example, in patients with depression. (Fp)