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Levi
Kailyn Levi
November 29th 2015
English 1001
Jean Coco
movement that has an effect on everyone, no matter what they listen to. Music impacts
the moods and behavior of how humans react to situations and everyday life decisions.
Not many realize the impact of it, from the way we talk to the way we carry ourselves in
a general standpoint. Music is also used as a therapy in order to improve attitude,
performance, and act as a natural de-stressor. The study of music is in fact a form of
psychology. The Amydala is a deep central brain structure that receives some of the first
projections from the lower brain centers. When listening to music the Amydala is
stimulated, just like the brain is stimulated to things such as smells, sounds, and feelings.
So when listening to music, you set off an alarm in a sort of way.
(2) My research has been centered on, how does music effect people suffering
from depression, and is it helping or putting more stress on the individual? Studies show
that this issue, is actually very important yet not a lot believe that music does have quite
an effect on us as human beings, whether we suffer from depression or not. Music can
also affect the way we perceive situations, like with evidence within a court case.
(3) Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law researchers were
faced with a case that was resolved by impact of the music played during the viewing of
evidence to jurors who were apart of the case. This left jurors using the emotional appeal
from listening to the music as the evidence played, as their persuasion to come to a final
decision with the case at hand. This came as an advantage and disadvantage in the case,
because were the citizens in the jury to be trusted with their decision? Was their decision
made off of the facts given in the case, or simply because of what they heard while
watching the evidence? Inevitably, the jurors reached a final decision, but in the end how
Levi
Kailyn Levi
November 29th 2015
English 1001
Jean Coco
was the decision really made? Music appeals to peoples emotions, and emotion is
sometimes used over actual thinking; hint the phrase, heart over mind. Music is
emotionally driven, and is what in fact crafts our emotion. Is it fair to present musically
tied evidence to a jury? What type of reaction would someone have on this, whether they
were on trial for the case or whether just listening to the case? For the average depressed
individual, do you think that this would affect them in a way of going to a bad place
within, just from listening to the music and connecting it with the case? Should the jury
be trusted to make the same decision as if there isnt any music presented with it? At the
end of it all, you have to think of everything given to you in order to be able to make a
decision in a case, whether the music made you or not. Music in fact does have an
emotional appeal that influences our mind and actions. It comes very naturally, that as
humans youre not necessarily aware of your behavior, but it impacts your actions most
of the time. (Vanderbilt Students, 1)
(4) Depression is a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe
despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often
accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep. A study released
from the University of Pittsburg School if Medicine shows that teens who are drawn to
do nothing but listen to music, seemed to become depressed over time. Mostly aggressive
music, with dark and sad feelings is what was studied with this research. Studies also
showed that victims of depression were less likely to be depressed if they chose to read
things such as books, magazines, or even newspapers, versus listening to music. Along to
help with the researchers, Dr. Brian A. Primack was also apart of the experience, in order
to prove the theory further. After many compare and contrast, the results found by Dr.
Levi
Kailyn Levi
November 29th 2015
English 1001
Jean Coco
Primack were found to be that heavy music listening was in fact a sign of depression. Dr.
Primack expressed, "I think it is important to know that there is this association between
depression and music exposure," he said. "This is nothing bad about music -- it may be
providing a service to young people who become depressed. However, clinicians and
parents ... may be able to more easily discover someone lapsing into depression based on
their behavior." (Pohla Smith, 1)
(5) Other researches also joined in on the research. Director of the Touch
Research Institute of the University Of Miami School Of Medicine, Tiffany Field, also
gave her own conclusion from the studies. As a former researcher who had already
studied the issue of depression among teens and music, Tiffany cited a 1999 study in
which researchers played a Michael Jackson, song, which wasnt mentioned, to depressed
adolescents, as more reason to add to her studies she found. She said, The primary brain
activity of a depressed person can be detected in the right frontal region. Listening to the
Jackson song sometimes caused a shift of brain activity to the left side. "If they didn't like
the music, the brain shift didn't occur until we played the music they liked," Dr. Field
expressed. If they're depressed they're going to turn to things that make them feel better,
so they turned to music." she concluded. Dr. Field looked at the issue with more of a
therapeutic aspect, versus the cut-dry Music is the face of depression attitude that Dr.
Primack seemed to have. (Pohla Smith, 1)
(6) Another sign of depression coming from music would be teens into headbanging heavy metal music. Theyre often more depressed than usual victims, and at a
higher risk of committing suicide. Studies shown from researchers at Melbourne
University show that, teens who listen to head banging music are often at risk of having
Levi
Kailyn Levi
November 29th 2015
English 1001
Jean Coco
depression and suicidal thoughts, with motivation to act on them. Most young people
listen to a range of music in positive ways; to block out crowds, to lift their mood or to
give them energy when exercising, but young people at risk of depression are more likely
to be listening to music, particularly heavy metal music, in a negative way, was Dr
Katrina McFerran's perception after her five year study on the subject. Inevitably, she
agrees and thinks the problem at hand is in fact getting worse. The study also shows that
other music genres like rap, pop, country, etc. dont have such a negative impact as much
as the heavy metal music. (Asian News International, 1)
(7) In conclusion, Music effects people who suffer from clinical depression, more
than our society realizes. You would assume it would be a positive impact, but inevitably
it can be such a negative one. Research shows that the various effects that music has on
depression, most of them having a negative aspect, and the way it can easily be a
persuading factor in some cases. Music isnt all bad for those with a disadvantage, but it
has been proven to also positively influence those with depression. Although music is
considered a universal bind all over the world, have you ever inspected it underneath its
reality? This is a deeper situation than most realize. Music can make you happy or sad,
and can either be motivational or depressing. In all, the negative impact it has on people,
especially victims of depression, is a serious issue that needs to be publicized, to bring
awareness to.
Levi
Kailyn Levi
November 29th 2015
English 1001
Jean Coco
Works Cited
American Psychiatric Association. "What Is Depression?" What Is Depression?
American Psychiatric Association, 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
Asian News International. "Shibboleth Authentication Request." Shibboleth
Authentication Request. Asian News International, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 29 Nov.
2015.
Healthline Networks, Inc. "How Music Affects Our Moods." Healthlines RSS News.
Healthline Networks, Inc., 2005-2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
Smith, Pohla. "Pitt Study of Depression Among Teens Finds Associations with Music,
Reading ." Http://www.lib.lsu.edu.libezp.lib.lsu.edu/. Pittsburgh PostGazette
Levi