Study Buddy (Challenger): Headphones and heartbreak: study reveals why we enjoy listening to sad music
- Researchers say it’s not just about catharsis, but also about empathy, practising emotions and the release of stress-reducing hormones
- This page is for students who want to take their understanding to the next level with difficult vocabulary and questions to test their inference skills
Sad songs make us cry, so why do we like listening to them? An expert explains. Photo: Shutterstock [1] Why do we like listening to sad music if feeling sad is uncomfortable? It’s a question that researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia set out to understand. They recently conducted a study of 50 participants. The respondents – predominantly undergraduate music students – selected music that summoned the swell of sadness. Tracks chosen included a wide range of music, from Beethoven to Taylor Swift.
[2] Professor Emery Schubert of the university’s Empirical Musicology Laboratory, who led the study, defined “sad” music as songs that have a slow tempo, soft dynamics, and more emphasised dissonances. Dissonances are notes that “disagree” with one another to create a harsh, abrupt or jarring change in the flow of the music. A slow tempo is about 60 to 70 beats per minute – about the same as a relaxed heartbeat. Sad music does not have huge variations in volume. It is even and gentle. However, it might also be unhappy because it triggers associations or memories for the listener.
[3] After choosing their “sad” tracks, study participants were asked to imagine that the music did not make them feel low. Eighty-two per cent said this lowered their enjoyment of the music. So, what is the appeal of sad music? Is it because it is cathartic and, if you need a good cry, the right music will turn on the tears, and you will feel better afterwards? That is part of it, Schubert confirmed, saying that catharsis, or “psychic cleansing”, is thought to be one reason we gravitate towards sad songs.
[4] Another reason is that a piece of music may give the listener something to connect to. “That could be the music itself, but it could also be the people or scenes related to the music. The [sad] music creates a sense of oneness, a kind of empathy in the listener, and empathy itself has a pleasurable aspect to it,” he said.
[5] Another possibility – one which Schubert says interests him specifically – is that, as humans, we are capable of experiencing a wide range of emotions. “It is through play [such as playing games and make-believe] that those emotions can be ‘practised’ reasonably safely,” he said, explaining that sad music can help us practise these feelings without experiencing real-life consequences.
[6] We also enjoy sad songs because their slower tempo is restful. We breathe more evenly and deeply in response, which can help us relax. Research suggests that listening to sad music prompts the release of prolactin and oxytocin hormones. Prolactin alters neural circuits and helps us cope with stress. Oxytocin, sometimes called the love hormone, promotes feelings of trust, empathy and tranquillity.
[7] Schubert said that music choice is also culturally dependent, noting that people select their music based on what they have been exposed to. “That was a real eye-opener for all of us who sometimes make too many assumptions about what is and is not enjoyable [and] sad music,” he said.
Source: South China Morning Post, August 24
Questions
1. In paragraph 1, the main purpose of the study conducted at the University of New South Wales was to ...
A. determine the most popular music genres among students.
B. compare the musical preferences of different age groups.
C. study the effects of music on physical health.
D. none of the above
2. What does the phrase “music that summoned the swell of sadness” in paragraph 1 suggest about the music chosen by the participants?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Which of the following best describes the phrase “emphasised dissonances” mentioned in paragraph 2?
A. notes that clash or sound unpleasant together
B. sounds that are dull, heavy and muffled
C. sounds that gradually decrease in volume
D. melodies with a regular, predictable rhythm
4. What could a song’s slow tempo be compared to, according to paragraph 2?
___________________________________________________
5. Find a word in paragraph 3 that describes “the release of strong feelings as a way of providing relief from sadness”.
___________________________________________________
6. Based on your understanding of paragraph 4, explain how listening to sad music can create a “sense of oneness” in the listener.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. According to paragraph 5, what might be the purpose of practising emotions through play?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. What is one possible connection between sad music and emotional well-being, according to paragraph 6?
A. Sad music can lead to heightened feelings of animosity or annoyance.
B. Sad music may help reduce stress and increase feelings of empathy.
C. Sad music can sometimes trigger undesirable physical symptoms.
D. Sad music may impair one’s focus and productivity.
9. Why is it important to recognise the diversity of musical expression and the cultural context of music, according to paragraph 7?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Answers
1. D
2. The music was intended to evoke a sense of sadness / make them feel sad. (any one)
3. A
4. a relaxed heartbeat
5. cathartic
6. Sad music can create a sense of shared experience or understanding, making the listener feel connected to others who have experienced similar emotions or situations. (accept all reasonable answers)
7. to explore and understand different emotional states safely without experiencing the real-life consequences
8. B
9. Different cultures have unique musical traditions and preferences, which can shape how people experience and interpret sad music (accept all similar answers)