Browsing by Author "Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M."

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    The appeal of sad music: A brief overview of current directions in research on motivations for listening to sad music
    (Elsevier, 2016-05-14) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.
    After happiness, sadness is the most common emotion attributed to music. A recent proliferation of research has provided intense focus on the reasons why sad music is so popular. The research presented in this paper aims to summarize the results of recent studies. The findings indicate that many people report that they choose to listen to sad music when experiencing sadness, and after experiencing negative events. A range of motivations have been found as to why people choose to listen to sad music, these include the role of music in; validating emotions, providing solace, providing rewarding emotional experiences, and aiding reflection and relaxation. For people who listen to sad music as an adaptive way to cope, some evidence in this review indicates that this may be a healthy strategy more applicable for psychologically healthy people, rather than those who are depressed or anxious. Findings indicate that depressed individuals, and ruminators, can use sad music adaptively, but also maladaptively. Sad music has also been shown to provide support when people are experiencing negative life events, as it enables the expression, identification, and understanding of the situation, which in turn aids the experience of consolation, and, ultimately, acceptance coping. Future directions for research, and the potential uses of sad music listening in therapeutic settings are discussed.
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    Consolation through music: A survey study
    (Sage, 2016-03-01) Hanser, W. E.; ter Bogt, T. F. M.; Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Mark, R. E.; Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M.
    Even though music is widely used as a source of solace, the question as to how and why music offers consolation remains largely unexplored. The aims of the present study are as follows: (a) to compare listening to music versus other self-soothing behaviors, (b) to explore when music is used as a means for solace, (c) to identify aspects of music that are important for providing solace, and (d) to explore behavior while listening to consoling music. Participants completed an internet survey distributed through the websites of Dutch National Radio 2 and Radio 4 (N = 445). The survey consisted of the Geneva Emotion and Music Scale (GEMS), the solace-scale from the Music in Mood Regulation questionnaire (MMR), questions concerning means of solace, situations requiring comfort, song aspects, and feelings and activities during music listening. The main findings indicate that: (1) music is the most important source of consolation compared with other soothing behaviors, (2) situations in which people have experienced loss and sadness are the primary situations in which music offers solace, (3) consoling music induces a feeling of being moved and a mixture of both positive and sad emotions; the most important aspects of a song for soothing purposes are the music itself and the lyrics, and (4) music for comfort is listened to predominately in solitude, as the sole activity. On the basis of these findings, a characterization of listening to consoling music is compiled. Behavior and song aspects are discussed in terms of how and why they are helpful in providing solace.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Emotion memory and music: A critical review and recommendations for future research.
    (2014) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Ritchie, Timothy David
    In this chapter we briefly but critically review current research on music-induced emotions, and the emotional response to music evoked memories. Current research struggles with finding appropriate approaches to investigate music-evoked memories. One new method is the use of self-selected rather than experimenter-selected music. As part of an empirical study we tested the validity of using self-selected music to study music-evoked memories. Moreover, with the use of self-selected music, we tested and confirmed the hypothesis that music that evokes sad memories is more like to portray sad than happy emotions. It was additionally found that familiarity of self-selected music is linked to liking, aesthetic value, meaningfulness, intensity of emotional response, vividness of mental imagery, and detail of the memory.
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    Listening to ironically-enjoyed music: A self-regulatory perspective
    (Sage, 2016-08-01) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Giner-Sorolla, Roger
    This research examines adults’ reported motivations for listening to music that they enjoy ironically using Thematic Analysis. Based on the pilot study (N = 96), ironically-enjoyed music was defined as “Music that is enjoyed because of being bad, despite being bad, or for different reasons than intended.” Many relevant self-regulatory functions of listening to music in general were relevant to ironically-enjoyed music in the main study (N = 175). Ironic enjoyment of music also has unique characteristics: the additional role of mocking, ridiculing, and laughing at the music, and the social benefit that this provides. Music that was listened to “because of” its negative features had a variety of musical features, and the listening usually served functions unique to ironic enjoyment of music. When music was listened to “despite” negative qualities, the music itself was often described as having attractive rhythm, melody or lyrics, while the irony protected the listener from conflicting values associated with the music, helping the listener communicate to others that they did not identify with the music on a higher level. Unfamiliar music mainly played a social role, whereas familiar music related to nostalgia as well as most other functions.
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    Listening to sad music in adverse situations: Music selection strategies, self-regulatory goals, listening effect, and mood-enhancement.
    (Sage, 2014) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Edwards, Jane
    Adults’ (N = 220) reported motivations for listening to sad music after experiencing adverse negative circumstances were examined by exploring how their music selection strategies related to (a) their self-regulatory goals, and (b) reported effects of listening. The effects of music selection strategies, self-regulatory goals, and reported effects on the achievement of mood enhancement were also explored using a retrospective survey design. The findings indicate that music choice is linked to the individual’s identified self-regulatory goals for music listening and to expected effects. Additionally, the results show that if individuals had intended to achieve mood enhancement through music listening, this was often achieved by first experiencing cognitive reappraisal or distraction. The selection of music with perceived high aesthetic value was the only music selection strategy that directly predicted mood enhancement. Where respondents indicated that they chose music with the intention of triggering memories, this was negatively related to the self-regulatory goal of mood enhancement.
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    Music listening as a potential aid in reducing emotional eating: An exploratory study
    (Sage, 2018-06-06) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Coulthard, Helen; Hanser, W. E.
    Emotional Eating (EE) is understood as a maladaptive self-regulation strategy to satisfy emotional needs instead of hunger. Consequently, EE has been associated with negative health consequences. Enjoyment of food and music share similar neural activations in the brain and are both used by people for regulating affect. This suggests that music listening could potentially be a healthier alternative to EE. The present study was designed to investigate associations between EE, disordered mood, and music-related mood regulation. A total of 571 participants completed measures of EE, music listening strategies, and disordered mood. Associations between seven different music listening strategies and EE were examined, and also whether these regulation strategies were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Finally, we explored associations between music listening and EE in people with low and high (non-clinical) levels of disordered mood (depression, anxiety, and stress). The findings of this research indicated that music listening for discharge (releasing anger or sadness through music that expresses these same emotions) and EE were positively associated with one another. In addition, EE and the music listening strategies of entertainment, diversion or mental work were associated in people with low levels of disordered mood. When disordered mood was high, EE was higher, but was not associated with music listening strategies. These associations point towards the possibility of some music listening strategies being useful as healthier alternatives for EE.
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    Sad music as a means for acceptance-based coping
    (Sage, 2016-03-01) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Edwards, Jane; Heflick, N. A.
    Self-identified sad music (SISM) is often listened to when experiencing sad life situations. Research indicates that the most common reason people give for listening to SISM is “to be in touch with or express feelings of sadness”. But why might this be the case? We suggest that one reason people choose to listen to sad music when feeling sad is to accept aversive situations. We tested if SISM is associated with acceptance coping and consolation. We hypothesized that SISM relates to acceptance-based coping via the recognition and identification of emotional states, and that people will report more acceptance from SISM than self- identified happy music when seeking consolation. In Study 1, participants recalled how happy or sad the music sounds that they normally listen to for consolation, and if they listen to this music to gain acceptance of negative moods and situations. In Study 2, participants reported their goals when listening to sad music during a recalled time in which they experienced an adverse life situation and whether this lead to acceptance. Study 1: People reported that they were more likely to listen to sad music than happy music when seeking consolation, though they preferred happy music in general. Listening to SISM (but not self-identified happy music) when seeking consolation was associated with acceptance of both a negative situation and the associated negative emotions. Additionally, seeking to deal with emotions was associated with both SISM listening (for consolation) and acceptance. Study 2: Listening to SISM to get in touch with and express affect was the most important self-regulatory strategy (of six examined) through which acceptance was recalled to be achieved. Experiencing adverse situations or seeking consolation, people report that listening to SISM is associated with acceptance coping (through the re-experiencing of affect). Implications for music therapy and theories of emotional coping are discussed.
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    ItemOpen Access
    A self-regulatory perspective on choosing ‘sad’ music to enhance mood.
    (2012) Van den Tol, Annemieke, J. M.; Edwards, Jane
    1a) It was expected that for most music selection strategies mood-enhancement would be achieved indirectly by first achieving other functions rather than directly as a result of the music listening. 1b) In line with self-regulation literature it was expected that the functions cognitive and distraction would play an important mediating role in achieving mood-enhancement. 2) It was expected that when the aesthetic value of the music had played an important role in the music selection, then experiencing mood-enhancement could be achieved directly as a result of the music listening and this could not be explained as a result of mediating roles of other functions.