NCJ Number
158717
Journal
Youth and Society Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1995) Pages: 148-168
Date Published
1995
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The impact of homicidal, suicidal, and nonviolent heavy metal and rap songs on the moods of male undergraduates was studied under the guise of administering a test for memory of the lyrics of one of six songs.
Abstract
A pilot study used 16 students to identify three heavy metal and three rap songs that fit into the content categories of interest, were low in familiarity, and were relatively high in coherence. Participants in the main study consisted of 82 males and 93 female undergraduates from Appalachian State University. The participants completed a memory task and several mood inventories. Results revealed no effects of song content or music type on suicidal ideation, anxiety, or self-esteem. The nonviolent rap song elicited higher Beck Depression Inventory scores than the violent rap songs, possibly because participants felt relatively good about their own lives after listening to the violent and depressing rap songs. Surprisingly, rap songs elicited significantly more angry responses than heavy metal songs. Findings are limited both by the classroom setting and by the musical pieces chosen. Nevertheless, as media continues to permeate people's lives to a greater degree, research on its impacts will become more important. Tables and 32 references