Musical mood induction: The relative influences of music type and the importance of music preference

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of music type on mood and the influence of music preference for predicting mood induction. Ninety undergraduate participants (Mage = 22.19 years, SD = 6) completed a music preference inventory prior to listening to heavy metal and classical music stimuli, presented in counterbalanced order. Participants completed the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale inventory to measure baseline mood and then re-completed the inventory after each music stimulus presentation. Multivariate analysis of variance on repeated measures evaluated the effects of music type on mood, whereas multiple regression analysis tested the influence of preference on mood following music exposure. Heavy metal music induced a state of high arousal/negative mood via increases in hostility, whereas classical music induced a state of low arousal/positive mood via increases in serenity. Preferences for heavy metal music predicted significant reductions in negative affect and hostility following heavy metal music, coupled with increases in serenity, joviality, and positive affect. Likewise, classical music preference predicted significant increases in joviality and PA following classical music listening. The results of the current study demonstrate how differential music exposures influence mood and reveal the importance of listener preferences for predicting mood change.