Psychology of Music- research article summary - Book Report/Review Example

Psychology of Music- Research Article Summary Lowis, Micheal J. (2003). Music and Peak Experiences: An Empirical Study. The Mankind Quarterly, 203-224.This research explores the personal reactions to experimental music depending on the frequency of peak experiences, nature of the music and familiarity. Sixty six participants was given two types of music to listen to; gentle and upbeat music. They were also given a handheld button to press and record the feelings evoked by the music at different points.

The music would take 25 to 30 minutes. The dependent variable included demographic variables of age, marital status, educational background and gender, familiarity with the music selection, the extent to which the music was enjoyed, whether or not the music selected reminded them of a significant occasion in their life, and whether or not they listened to any of the classical music radio programs and how often they did. A handheld button was used by the participants to record any profound feelings, pleasure or joy by pressing the button.

The author concluded that there was no relationship between the frequency of button pressing and variables such as age, marital status, educational background and gender. There was direct correlation between listening to classical music and enjoyment of the gentle selection and familiarity as opposed to the upbeat music. Participants who pressed the button at an increased frequency indicated familiarity with the music and enjoyment. Gentle music elicited more button presses. This suggests that regular listeners of relaxing and peaceful melodies generate deep feelings that can be associated with life experiences as opposed to loud and robust music.

The author concludes that gentle selections of music yielded positive correlations between familiarity and enjoyment of music while the upbeat music was associated with mystical events as it elicited a wide range of feelings. As such, this is a research paper that seeks to investigate a useful theory. The researcher has successfully integrated his research into the wide body of knowledge by presenting an agreement of his findings alongside the views of other researchers. Reference Lowis, Micheal J. (2003). Music and Peak Experiences: An Empirical Study.

The Mankind Quarterly, 203-224.