![[PDF]](/pb-assets/Icons/adobe-pdf-icon-1498649896243.png){kind=icon}
Abstract
The present study employs a mixed methods approach to understanding the psychological functions and contexts of music use. Seventy-six emerging adults selected a single piece of music that they considered personally significant and elaborated on the reasons for this significance in response to written prompts. A constant comparative analysis of these retrospective accounts revealed three major themes. Specifically, participants selected music that helped them cope with a transition, facilitated self-reflection, or elicited positive memories. Additionally two metathemes emerged: participants selected music with lyrics that resonated with their own experiences or that helped them feel less alone. Quantitative analyses revealed systematic differences between the three major themes. Results are discussed in light of the psychological functions music may serve.
References
Section:
|
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 469-480. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
Baumeister, R. F., Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological bulletin, 117, 497-497. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
Baumgartner, H . (1992). Remembrance of things past: Music, autobiographical memory, and emotion. Advances in Consumer Research, 19(1), 613-620. Google Scholar | |
|
Bennett, C. M., Baird, A. A. (2006). Anatomical changes in the emerging adult brain: A voxel-based morphometry study. Human Brain Mapping, 27, 766-777. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | |
|
Bonanno, G. A., Keltner, D. (1997). Facial expressions of emotion and the course of conjugal bereavement. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106(1), 126-137. doi:10.1037/0021-843x.106.1.126 Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | |
|
Brammer, L . (1992). Coping with life transitions. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 15, 239-253. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Cole, T., Leets, L. (1999). Attachment styles and intimate television viewing: Insecurely forming relationships in a parasocial way. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 495-511. doi:10.1177/0265407599164005 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Cornelius, R. R. (2001). Crying and catharsis. In Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M., Cornelius, R. R. (Eds.), Adult crying: A biopsychosocial approach (pp. 199-211). Philadelphia, PA: Taylor & Francis. Google Scholar | |
|
Crafts, S. D., Cavicchi, D., Keil, C. (1993). My music. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England. Google Scholar | |
|
DeNora, T . (1999). Music as a technology of the self. Poetics, 27(1), 31-56. Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI | |
|
DeNora, T . (2000). Music in everyday life. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Frith, S . (1981). Sound effects: Youth, leisure, and the politics of rock “n” roll. New York, NY: Pantheon Books. Google Scholar | |
|
Frith, S . (1987). Towards an aesthetic of popular music. In Leppert, R., McClary, S. (Eds.), Music and society: The politics of composition, performance and reception (pp. 133-149). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Gabrielsson, A., Lindström Wik, S. (2003). Strong experiences related to music: A descriptive system. Musicae Scientiae, 7(2), 157-217. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI | |
|
Gauntlett, D . (2002). Media, gender, and identity: An introduction. London, UK: Routledge. Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Gelhaar, T., Seiffge-Krenke, I., Borge, A., Cicognani, E., Cunha, M., Loncaric, D., …Metzke, C. W. (2007). Adolescent coping with everyday stressors: A seven-nation study of youth from central, eastern, southern, and northern Europe. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 4(2), 129-156. doi:10.1080/17405620600831564 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Gibson, R., Aust, C. F., Zillmann, D. (2000). Loneliness of adolescents and their choice and enjoyment of love-celebrating versus love-lamenting popular music. Empirical Studies of the Arts, 18(1), 43-48. doi:10.2190/b51g-8u0w-n0eq-mjuu Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, IL: Aldine. Google Scholar | |
|
Gratz, K. L., Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26(1), 41-54. doi:10.1023/b:joba.0000007455.08539.94 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Greenwood, D. N. (2008). Television as escape from self: Psychological predictors of media involvement. Personality and Individual Differences, 44, 414-424. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2007.09.001 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Greenwood, D. N. (2010). Of sad men and dark comedies: Mood and gender effects on entertainment media preferences. Mass Communication & Society, 13, 232-249. doi:10.1080/15205430903186526 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Greenwood, D. N., Long, C. R. (2009a). Mood specific media use and emotion regulation: Patterns and individual differences. Personality and Individual Differences, 46, 616-621. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2009.01.002 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Greenwood, D. N., Long, C. R. (2009b). Psychological predictors of media involvement: Solitude experiences and the need to belong. Communication Research, 36, 637-654. doi:10.1177/0093650209338906 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Harris, R. J., Bonds-Raacke, J. M., Cady, E. T. (2005). What we remember from television and movies: Using autobiographical memory to study media. In Walker, W. R., Herman, D. J. (Eds.), Cognitive technology: Essays on the transformation of thought and society (pp. 130-148). Jefferson, NC: McFarland. Google Scholar | |
|
Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., Rakowski, S. K. (2007). Characterisation of music-evoked autobiographical memories. Memory, 15, 845-860. doi:10.1080/09658210701734593 Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
John, O. P., Gross, J. J. (2004). Healthy and unhealthy emotion regulation: Personality processes, individual differences, and life span development. Journal of Personality, 72, 1301-1333. doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2004.00298.x Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
Knobloch, S . (2003). Mood adjustment via mass communication. Journal of Communication, 53, 233-250. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2003.tb02588.x Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI | |
|
Knobloch, S., Zillmann, D. (2003). Appeal of love themes in popular music. Psychological Reports, 93, 653-658. doi:10.2466/pr0.93.7.653-658 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Laiho, S . (2004). The psychological functions of music in adolescence. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 13(1), 47-63. doi:10.1080/08098130409478097 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Larson, R . (1995). Secrets in the bedroom: Adolescents’ private use of media. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 535-550. doi:10.1007/bf01537055 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Lull, J . (1985). On the communicative properties of music. Communication Research, 12, 363. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Markus, H., Nurius, P. (1986). Possible selves. American Psychologist, 41, 954-969. doi:10.1037/0003-066x.41.9.954 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J., O’Neill, S. A. (2000). The importance of music to adolescents. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 255-272. doi:10.1348/000709900158083 Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
Oliver, M. B. (2008). Tender affective states as predictors of entertainment preference. Journal of Communication, 58(1), 40-61. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2007.00373.x Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI | |
|
Roberts, D. F., Christenson, P. G. (2001). Popular music in childhood and adolescence. In Singer, D. G., Singer, J. L. (Eds.), Handbook of children and the media (pp. 395-413). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. Google Scholar | |
|
Roe, K . (1985). Swedish youth and music: Listening patterns and motivations. Communication Research, 12, 353-362. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI | |
|
Ruud, E . (1997). Music and identity. Nordisk tidskrift for musikkterapi, 6(1), 3-13. doi:10.1080/08098139709477889 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Saarikallio, S., Erkkilä, J. (2007). The role of music in adolescents’ mood regulation. Psychology of Music, 35(1), 88-109. doi:10.1177/0305735607068889 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Schulkind, M. D., Hennis, L. K., Rubin, D. C. (1999). Music, emotion, and autobiographical memory: They’re playing your song. Memory & Cognition, 27, 948-955. Google Scholar | Crossref | Medline | ISI | |
|
Sloboda, J. A., O’Neill, S. A., Ivaldi, A. (2001). Functions of music in everyday life: An exploratory study using the Experience Sampling Method. Musicae Scientiae, 5(1), 9-32. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Steele, J. R., Brown, J. D. (1995). Adolescent room culture: Studying media in the context of everyday life. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 551-576. Google Scholar | Crossref | ISI | |
|
Tarrant, M., North, A. C., Hargreaves, D. J. (2002). Youth identity and music. In MacDonald, R. R., Hargreaves, D. J., Meill, D. (Eds.), Musical identities (pp. 134-150). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Google Scholar | |
|
Thompson, R. L., Larson, R. (1995). Social context and the subjective experience of different types of rock music. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 24, 731-744. doi:10.1007/bf01536954 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
van Dijck, J . (2006). Record and hold: Popular music between personal and collective memory. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 23, 357-374. doi:10.1080/07393180601046121 Google Scholar | Crossref | |
|
Wells, A., Hakanen, E. A. (1991). The emotional use of popular music by adolescents. Journalism Quarterly, 68, 445-454. Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | |
|
Zillmann, D . (1988). Mood management through communication choices. American Behavioral Scientist, 31, 327-340. doi:10.1177/000276488031003005 Google Scholar | SAGE Journals | ISI | |
|
Zillmann, D . (2000). Mood management in the context of selective exposure theory. Communication Yearbook, 23, 103-124. Google Scholar |
