August 23, 2016.
Music softens manners, the adage is as old as the world. However, for a long time, researchers thought that soft and pleasant music brought joy and relaxation, and sad music, on the contrary, made melancholy.
Even sad music can do good
However, a recent joint study by the universities of Durham (United Kingdom) and Jyväskylä (Finland) shows the opposite. By making 2,400 guinea pigs listen to sad music, and by collecting their impressions after listening, a majority declared however to have appreciated the music, where the researchers thought that they would come out affected!
The hypothesis formed, already evoked by other studies, would be that sad music brings compensation to those who have, for example, lost a loved one or loved one, as if the music could “understand” what they were. feel.
The emotional impact of music proven
Conversely, some guinea pigs hated listening to sad music, because it caused them discomfort.
The authors of the study conclude that it is rational not to want to listen to certain music, for fear of being emotionally affected by them, and conversely, that it is also rational to want to listen to sad or sad music. melancholy, if there is an emotional benefit.
To find out more: Music: a wide range of health benefits
