Mood swings : music choice amongst students and its psychological impact on their perception and moods over time : qualitative study

Abstract

This study investigated the psychology of music and how it affects thoughts, behaviours and emotions. The aim of the study was to find out how music choice affects the perceptions and moods of students over time. A qualitative narrative approach was taken, and four participants were interviewed in all. Four overarching themes have emerged from the data gathered, with eight consequent sub-themes, these being grouped under: Family, Past Experience, Genre Assimilation and Situational Factors. The results show common factors in how the participants perceive their world through music and how this multifaceted phenomenon is governed by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The issue of memory recall was also discussed when dealing with music and studying. Moreover, stark distinctions between mood-regulation and mood-matching were found. This study gives a psychological insight into how music and emotion can be related, and thus utilized for general well-being.