Poster 21

The Disconnect Between Contemporary Metal Music and Negative Emotions

Dan Robinson, Raquel Belen Tejeda, and Kanaiela Raagas

This study explores the presumed association between negative emotions and metal music. While in the broader culture, the anecdotal belief is that metal music elicits negative emotions, we were interested in studying the hypothesis that metal music does not activate negative emotions (e.g. depression, anxiety and aggression), but rather serves as a coping mechanism for people with these pre-existing emotions. Thirty-six participants between the ages of 18 and 25 completed a survey to assess their current levels of depression, anxiety, and aggression, and their inclination to listen to metal music. Results suggest that there were no significant correlations between any of the negative emotions and a participant’s interaction with metal music. We found evidence that the correlation between the activation of negative emotions and metal music is not significant. Therefore, metal music does not produce negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and/or aggression in individuals that listen to metal music.

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