The Role of Music in Everyday Life

The Role of Music in Everyday Life

The role of music in everyday life is the theme of this essay (Rentfrow, 2012). The article focuses on research that aims to identify the role of music in the everyday lives of various persons. Furthermore, it seeks to outline the impacts of music on numerous behavioral elements of persons, such as personality and even emotions (Rentfrow, 2012).

Effects of Music on Personalities and Behaviors

According to the article’s hypothesis, music has a variety of effects on people’s personalities, behaviors, and emotions. Also, people use music for various purposes such as controlling their emotions, expressing themselves, or even for social identity and connection (Rentfrow, 2012).

Models Used in the Research

The research paper employs two models to study music. These are the media effects and the use of gratifications (Rentfrow, 2012).

Media Effects Model

As outlined, in the media effects model, the listeners of music are perceived as the passive consumers since they are exposed to regulated music, that which they do not choose by themselves (Rentfrow, 2012). For instance, it can be background music in a film or even a store. Such music is proved to have both positive and adverse effects to the consumer depending on the genre and the lyrical content. Negatively, some music evokes aggressiveness, and on the other side, other forms of music are relaxing and evoke feelings of interest and excitement.

Gratifications Model

The other model, which uses gratifications, considers music consumers as active users whereby they choose the kind of music they want to listen to. This is mostly determined by the individual personalities as well as preferences. In such a scenario, the music that a person listens to serves purposes such as social identity and the establishment of self-realization and perception (Rentfrow, 2012). Among the reasons for listening to music under this category include factors such as passing the time, having control over personal emotions, to vividly express yourself when you lack the right words. It also serves as a social bond as it creates the right moods and environment for connecting with other people of the same preferences (Rentfrow, 2012).

Music, Emotions, and Personality

Further, the research outlines that music has a connection with individual emotions. As stated earlier, the type of music that a person listens to dictates whether aggressive behavior is provoked or calmness and excitement is established. Also, music affects personality and therefore creates disparities in individuals (Rentfrow, 2012).

Influence of Music on Self-Identity and Social Perception

Various individuals have different music tastes that illustrate their characters. On the other side, music can influence a person’s personality. From the type of music that a person listens to, the categorization and stereotyping of these music genres lead to self-identity and social perception (Rentfrow, 2012). Listening to music that is stereotyped as creative makes the listener perceive himself as creative. The perception of other people can also be factored by the music they listen to. Music also serves the purpose of attraction and bonding among individuals. Persons with the same taste in music perceive themselves to have similarities in personality and even behavior. This creates attraction since they are on the same level of happiness and even the same personality which will make them complement each other.

Importance of the Research and Personal Relevance

The research is important because it gives more reasons to the purposes of music other than entertainment. It outlines the various factors that individuals can look out for the music consumption patterns to learn the psychological responses of individuals and their personalities. Personally, the research paper is applicable and relevant to me since through the facts therein, and I can now reach the point of self-realization from the kind of music I listen to.

References

Rentfrow, P. J. (2012). The role of music in everyday life: Current directions in the social psychology of music. Social and personality psychology compass, 6(5), 402-416.