adhd - Family dynamics are part of ADHD

Songs with violent lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and emotions, suggests a study in US college students. The study contradicts a popular suggestion that music loaded with violent imagery, such as some rap and heavy metal, are cathartic in venting aggression.

Shaoni Bhattacharya

New Scientist

Although, the effects were measured over a short time only, the team believes listening to violent lyrics could have a long-term effect - contributing to the development of a more aggressive and confrontational personality.

"Aggressive thoughts can influence perceptions of ongoing social interactions, colouring them with an aggressive tint," said Anderson. "Listening to angry, violent music does not appear to provide the kind of cathartic release that the general public and some professional and pop psychologists believe."

Anderson stresses that "content matters" when it comes to violent media - a finding backed by many other studies on the effects of violent television or video games. "The message is important for all consumers, but especially for parents of children and adolescents," he said.

Rock animal

Researchers at Iowa and the Texas Department of Human Services in Austin tested over 500 students in five experiments. They exposed students to songs by rap artists including the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill and Run DMC.

To make sure they were testing for the effect of lyrics only, the researchers exposed them to violent and non-violent songs by the same band. Individual personality differences to hostility were also assessed and taken into account.

Those exposed to violent lyrics scored higher on aggression in a variety of psychological tests. For example, one task involved students classifying words that can have both aggressive and non-aggressive meanings like rock, animal and stick. Students who listened to violent lyrics were more likely to make aggressive associations. This is a "semantic priming process" say the researchers.

It also increased the proportion of word fragments - for example h-t - filled in to make aggressive words like hit, rather than non-aggressive words like hat.

The effects were specifically due to song lyrics and not musical style, artist or the energy of the song as these factors were controlled for, says the team.

Journal reference: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: (vol 84, p 960)