Summary article Brief report: labelling effects on the perceived deleterious consequences of pop
music listening
Introduction
•Over recent years, several countries have introduced or are considering a range of legal and quasi-
legal sanctions that aim to minimize young people’s exposure to problem music.
•Several studies have provided evidence of a relationship between exposure to problem music and
various problem behaviours such as delinquency.
•More importantly, several studies have considered the role of music lyrics in promoting suicide.
•Are there other explanations for the apparent association between music and problem behaviour?
The present research concerned one such potential explanation based on previous research
concerning prestige effects on responses to music.
•Although several psychologists and socilogists have considered the impact of frames on the
perception of information, a small number of studies have considered these specifically in the
evaluation of artistic stimuli. In short, this research indicates that providing participants with
information prior to exposure to art work can significantly influence their subsequent responses.
•By labelling them as musical styles that cause problem behaviours this prior information itself could
partly or wholly be the cause of any subsequent problem behaviour.
•The hypothesis was that participants who heard a description of a song implicating it in actual
suicides should rate the song as more suicide-inducing than should participants heard how the song
can help people through difficult life events.
Discussion
•When a song was described to participants as one that had been linked with actual incidences of
suicide, participants perceived that song as suicide-inducing. In contrast, when the song was
described to participants as one that had helped people to work through their emotional
problems, participants perceived the song as life-affirming.
•Three limitations of the present research is noteworthy:
-The findings require replication
-Some of the participants have already heard the lyrics before and that could influence the view on
the song
-Research is indicative because you can’t test it due to ethical reasons.
•The present results imply that censorship of problem music may actually exacerbate the problem it
aims to resolve.
•In short, the best way of ensuring that pop music is harmless to young people may be to censor the
censors.
Leesvragen
Vraag 1: Beschrijf wat de onderzoekers onderzocht hebben en wat hun conclusie is.
Vraag 2: Er waren 2 manieren van beoordelen van de liedjes, namelijk hoe de participant zelf
de liedjes beoordeelt, en hoe de participant denkt dat een leeftijdsgenoot de liedjes beoordeelt.
Wat zijn de verschillen tussen de deze 2 manieren van beoordelen? Vergelijk tabel 1 en 3.
Vraag 3: Wat zeggen de auteurs over “censoring of specific types of (problem) music” en wat
raden ze aan?
music listening
Introduction
•Over recent years, several countries have introduced or are considering a range of legal and quasi-
legal sanctions that aim to minimize young people’s exposure to problem music.
•Several studies have provided evidence of a relationship between exposure to problem music and
various problem behaviours such as delinquency.
•More importantly, several studies have considered the role of music lyrics in promoting suicide.
•Are there other explanations for the apparent association between music and problem behaviour?
The present research concerned one such potential explanation based on previous research
concerning prestige effects on responses to music.
•Although several psychologists and socilogists have considered the impact of frames on the
perception of information, a small number of studies have considered these specifically in the
evaluation of artistic stimuli. In short, this research indicates that providing participants with
information prior to exposure to art work can significantly influence their subsequent responses.
•By labelling them as musical styles that cause problem behaviours this prior information itself could
partly or wholly be the cause of any subsequent problem behaviour.
•The hypothesis was that participants who heard a description of a song implicating it in actual
suicides should rate the song as more suicide-inducing than should participants heard how the song
can help people through difficult life events.
Discussion
•When a song was described to participants as one that had been linked with actual incidences of
suicide, participants perceived that song as suicide-inducing. In contrast, when the song was
described to participants as one that had helped people to work through their emotional
problems, participants perceived the song as life-affirming.
•Three limitations of the present research is noteworthy:
-The findings require replication
-Some of the participants have already heard the lyrics before and that could influence the view on
the song
-Research is indicative because you can’t test it due to ethical reasons.
•The present results imply that censorship of problem music may actually exacerbate the problem it
aims to resolve.
•In short, the best way of ensuring that pop music is harmless to young people may be to censor the
censors.
Leesvragen
Vraag 1: Beschrijf wat de onderzoekers onderzocht hebben en wat hun conclusie is.
Vraag 2: Er waren 2 manieren van beoordelen van de liedjes, namelijk hoe de participant zelf
de liedjes beoordeelt, en hoe de participant denkt dat een leeftijdsgenoot de liedjes beoordeelt.
Wat zijn de verschillen tussen de deze 2 manieren van beoordelen? Vergelijk tabel 1 en 3.
Vraag 3: Wat zeggen de auteurs over “censoring of specific types of (problem) music” en wat
raden ze aan?
