Cheah Pei Ny, Cheong Ku Wing

Listening to Sad Music: a Narrative Review

Introduction

Listening to sad music: a narrative review. A narrative review explores why people listen to sad music, covering philosophical, psychological, sociological, and scientific perspectives on emotional responses and enjoyment.

Abstract

As noted in the tragedy paradox, the enjoyment of negative emotions evoked in artworks is a phenomenon acknowledged from ancient times to the present. Sad music listening induces a diverse range of emotional responses in the listener: some would experience pleasure, while others find it unpleasant; hence, this review aims to categorise sad music listening from the philosophical, psychological, sociological, and scientific perspectives. This review includes studies of journal articles, review articles, books, and book chapters from 2010-2022. The philosophical perspective reviewed the paradox of the attraction towards sad music. The psychological perspective reviewed the empirical studies that examined various factors contributing to enjoying sad music. The sociological perspective reviewed how sad music can be used to create a social connection. The scientific perspective reviewed the biological effects of sad music listening. Many of the studies found are related to the psychological perspective, in which sad music can induce diverse emotions, and there are several factors that contribute to the enjoyment of sad music. As more scientific research has been emerging in recent years, future research can explore the brain correlates and hormonal stimulation in various individual differences to consolidate why some people enjoy sad music while others do not. 

Review

This narrative review addresses the fascinating and long-standing phenomenon of enjoying sad music, a topic deeply rooted in the "tragedy paradox"—the human capacity to derive pleasure from experiences that evoke negative emotions. The stated aim is commendably ambitious: to categorize sad music listening from an interdisciplinary approach, drawing insights from philosophical, psychological, sociological, and scientific perspectives. This broad scope promises a rich, multi-faceted understanding of a complex human experience, offering a valuable synthesis for researchers across various disciplines interested in emotional responses to aesthetics and music. The chosen timeframe of 2010-2022 ensures a focus on contemporary research while still allowing for a substantial body of literature to be included. The methodology outlines a search across diverse source types including journal articles, review articles, books, and book chapters within the specified period, which is appropriate for a narrative review seeking a wide-ranging synthesis. The review's structure is clearly delineated into four key perspectives. The philosophical section aims to explore the paradox of attraction, the psychological perspective focuses on empirical studies examining factors contributing to enjoyment, the sociological lens considers the role of sad music in fostering social connection, and the scientific perspective investigates biological effects. However, the abstract indicates a potential imbalance in coverage: "Many of the studies found are related to the psychological perspective." While this may accurately reflect the current distribution of research in the field, it suggests that the depth of coverage for the philosophical, sociological, and particularly the scientific perspectives might be less substantial, which could impact the goal of an equally balanced synthesis. Regarding the findings, the abstract highlights the predominance of psychological studies, detailing how sad music can induce diverse emotions and identifying various factors contributing to its enjoyment. This emphasis is understandable given the current landscape of research. The proposed future research directions are pertinent and forward-looking, suggesting exploration into "brain correlates and hormonal stimulation in various individual differences to consolidate why some people enjoy sad music while others do not." While an excellent path for empirical work, this also implies that the "scientific perspective" section of the current review might function more as an outline of emerging areas rather than a comprehensive summary of established biological effects, given that these are presented as *future* avenues. Overall, the review offers a valuable categorization of current understanding, laying important groundwork for future interdisciplinary inquiry into this captivating aspect of human emotional and aesthetic experience.

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