Key Points
The paper reports on three studies examining whether music can positively impact cognitions related to stressful events. The key findings are:
Taken together, Studies 2 and 3 indicate familiar, upbeat music may help facilitate more adaptive thinking duringcognitive restructuring activitiesin therapy. However, more research is needed on real-world efficacy.
Familiar, personally enjoyable upbeat music was uniquely able to increase positive moods and lead to less negative thinking about hypothetical stressful events.
Results suggest beloved feel-good songs could help prime more adaptive self-talk during cognitive restructuring in therapy contexts, though more research is needed.
Rationale
Cognitive theoriessuggest negative thinking patterns like inferring stressful events will have overly negative implications for one’s future and self-concept, putting people at risk for depression (Abramson et al., 2002).
Interventions often target restructuring thesemaladaptive cognitionsthrough questioning negative thoughts and weighing evidence (Beck, 1995).
However, cognitive restructuring can be difficult to implement effectively (Lawlor et al., 2022).
This research tests whether music listening could provide a scalable, easy-to-use strategy to nudge more adaptive thinking.
Method
Study 1 randomly assigned 336 U.S. adults to listen to unfamiliar songs differing in lyrics (neutral vs negative) and tempo (fast vs slow), rating inferences about a hypothetical event.
Study 2 (n=302 U.S. adults) and Study 3 (n=323 U.S. adults) randomly assigned participants to a familiar positive song, neutral song, or no-song control before the inference ratings. Affect was also measured.
Sample
All studies sampled U.S. adults from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (a crowdsourcing website).
Statistical Analysis
Inferential statistics includedANOVAsand follow-up least significant difference (LSD) tests (Study 1) as well as one-way ANOVAs with planned contrasts (Studies 2 and 3).
Results
Study 1found no effects of song type on inferences.
Study 2found familiar positive songs led to increased positive affect and less negative inferences than control conditions.
Study 3replicated these effects, ruling out a potential familiarity confound.
Insight
Notably, manipulating different types of unfamiliar songs (Study 1) did not influence thinking, suggesting personally meaningful music developed over repeated listening is key for emotional processing impacts on cognition.
However, no prior studies isolated the attributional effects familiar favored songs can exert on thinking about hypothetical events separate from evoking past memories.
Demonstrating accessible, enjoyable music people already know and love can shift event-specific inferences breaks new ground in understanding facilitated reappraisal mechanisms that may transfer to real-world settings.
Strengths
Limitations
Implications
Results indicate familiar, upbeat music may amplify positive moods that precede the reappraisal of negative thoughts in therapy.
Clinicians could consider playing personally meaningful upbeat songs prior to restructuring.
More research should further examine dose-response effects and efficacy alongside clinical interventions.
Conclusions
These studies demonstrate the promise of familiar positive music as a facilitated reappraisal mechanism.
While questions remain regarding implementation, the method represents an inexpensive, universally enjoyable avenue for nudging adaptive thinking patterns. As rates ofdepressionescalate globally, continued efforts to enhance accessible prevention strategies remain vital.
References
Abramson, L.Y., Metalsky, G.I., & Alloy, L.B. (1989). Hopelessness depression: A theory- based subtype of depression.Psychological Review, 96(2), 358–372.https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.96.2.358
Beck, J. S. (1995).Cognitive therapy: Basics and beyond.Guilford Press.
Lawlor, C., Goodson, J. T., & Haeffel, G. J. (2022). Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression: A primer.Clinical Psychology and Special Education, 11, 97–107.doi:10.17759/cpse.2022110206
Learning Check
Saul McLeod, PhD
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester
Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.
Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc
BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education
Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.
