1. The Psychology of Sound How Sound Effects us and our Behaviour

2. Sound and Its Effects On Our Brain Research indicates that volume, speed and type of music can have profound effects on our behaviour for example it can have effects on a product we may choose in a shop, our emotions, how much we eat or drink and how much money we spend to name but a few.

3. Classical Music Studies suggest that listening to classical music decreases tension, even in those for whom classical music is not their preferred genre. However, listening to classical music does not necessarily affect other feelings or increase overall intelligence. The ability of music to influence feelings appears to vary depending on musical preference.

4. Heavy Metal\Rock While a number of researchers have associated heavy metal music with depression or anger, these effects do not occur when heavy metal is the listener’s musical preference. A study of more than 1,000 gifted students aged 11-18 found that heavy metal music is used for cathartic release and to dissipate negative emotions, particularly among those with low self-esteem. However, A study of the effects of different types of music found that after listening to grunge music, subjects reported increases in fatigue, tension, sadness and hostility, as well as decreased mental clarity, vigour, relaxation and compassion. However, grunge was likely not the musical preference of these subjects—a study of grunge fans may have produced different results.

5. Rap Music Studies have been conducted to assess the effects of listening to rap music on teenagers and young adults. Findings thus far are mixed, but overall they suggest that listening to rap music does not cause aggressive or deviant behaviour. And so the Jury is still out with regards to this!!!!

6. Retail Example… Take retailers for example, they play certain genre’s of music, at a certain volume and tempo as it has been proven that it has significant effects on how long consumers spend in shops and restaurants, how much they purchase or consume, and whether they view brands or individual products favourably or not. Genre: In department stores that play Top 40 music, shoppers over 25 believe that they have spent more time shopping, whereas in those that play instrumental easy listening music, those under 25 feel that they have been in the store for longer than they have. Thus, unfamiliar or less-preferred music slows down perceived time for the shopper. Volume: Music volume is negatively correlated with shopping time. However, people in grocery stores playing loud music make just as many purchases despite shopping for a shorter period of time. This indicates that sales per minute are much higher when music is played loudly than with soft background music.

7. Retail Example Cont… Music Tempo: Experiments conducted in the 1980s found that in both supermarkets and restaurants, slower music creates slower traffic flow, which means that people shop for longer in the supermarket and spend more time eating and drinking in the restaurant. When slower music was played, supermarkets saw significantly higher overall sales volumes, with one supermarket study reporting an increase in sales of 38% in the slow music condition. This is unsurprising, as consumers who are moving more slowly are more inclined to see additional items they would like. Restaurants playing slow music had longer waits for tables and much higher customer bar bills. Interestingly, although restaurant patrons did not eat more in the slow music condition, they drank far more.

8. Music and Advertising Product Evaluation: It is found that people are more inclined to desire a product that has been advertised in conjunction with music they enjoy than one that has been paired with unappealing music or no music at all. It is a proven fact that consumers are also more likely to buy products when the music used to advertise them is aligned with the product. These effects work for both individual products and entire brands. In addition to whether or not music is the consumer’s preferred type, a connection between music and the product being advertised is also very important. Such as “Everyone is going Surfing” could be used as the music to advertise Surfing equipment. The most effective music used in advertising is that composed specifically to match the product, although recall of advertising messages can also be enhanced by using popular songs, particularly when the music is played without lyrics. Those listening to the advertisement are inclined to sing along, supplying the missing lyrics either in their minds or overtly, which increases their involvement with the advertisement and the likelihood that they will remember it afterwards

9. Website For more information on all of this here is a useful website http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/ the_psychology_of_music