A new study from researchers at the University of Queensland (in Brisbane) has demonstrated that "extreme" music such as metal and punk doesn't actually inspire violent action in its listeners...but actually does the opposite.
Dr. Genevieve Dingle and student Leah Sharman had actually begun their studies with the idea to prove that such extreme music inspires listeners to behave more aggressively, and even violently. The experiment was as such: 39 individuals who regularly listened to "extreme" genres were forced to undergo an "anger induction" process, where researchers needled them with questioning about stressful subjects, such as employment and money. Following that segment, the subjects of the experiment were allowed to listen to ten minutes of music (of their own choosing), while others were forced to sit in silence for 10 minutes.
The results: Blast beats and 180 bpm were just as calming to the subjects as total silence was. The study suggests that some used particularly aggressive music as a way of sweating out their open aggression, while others chose music with lyrical themes that sympathized with their own moodiness, as if looking for an understanding outlet.
"The music helped them explore the full gamut of emotion they felt, but also left them feeling more active and inspired," the report reads. "Results showed levels of hostility, irritability and stress decreased after music was introduced, and the most significant change reported was the level of inspiration they felt."
All this said, there's plenty of factors to be taken into consideration. Dingle suggests that the reaction the subjects felt was probably tied into their choosing of the music as well. For example, if a Kelly Clarkson fan tried to turn to metal to blow off steam, it wouldn't be nearly as effective (but "Since U Been Gone" would be incredibly helpful).
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