Essay Sample on How Does Music Affect a Persons's Knowledge, Aggression, and Demeanor?

Music forms an extensive part of a person's everyday life. Music prevails in many aspects of daily life, especially in activities such as working out at the gym, shopping for grocery and also watching TV. People use music for a variety of reasons; hence its magnitude of playing affects a person's knowledge, aggression, and demeanor. It is necessary that people understand the psychological effect that exposure to music has on them, given the immeasurable amount of daily exposure.

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How Music Affects a Person's Aggression

Aggression is viewed as a predominant force that occurs behind violent acts. Music has profound implications on thoughts and feelings. This way, if someone listens to music that has aggressive lyrics that may stir their thoughts and behavior of aggression. Music acts as a stylistic catalyst hence influencing violent behavior as the outcome (Triplett). Music is also included as a situational factor in the input such that it may influence arousal that leads to the outcome of people engaging in violent behavior.

People's exposure to violent music leads to the anticipated outcome of the increase in aggression or the likelihood of individuals acting aggressively. Songs that have violent lyrics tend to increase thoughts related to aggression and similar emotions. It is such that aggressive thoughts influence the perceptions of ongoing social interactions where they are colored with an aggressive tint.

Aggression-biased interpretation of music lyrics instigates aggressive responses, both verbally and physically. Such is not the case if individuals are in a non-biased state. This way, the aggressive responses provoke an aggressive escalatory spiral of antisocial exchanges (Thompson and Kirk. 128) Repeated exposure of people to violent music contributes significantly to the aggressive personality of people and the creation of more hostile social environments.

How Music Affects a Person's Behavior

Music affects the behavior of people, both positively and negatively. The cognitive benefits of listening to music arise from the effect on emotions because when there are positive impacts, it improves cognitive performance. Music has the ability to activate the brain areas that are associated with emotions. There are structures of the brain, such as the amygdala, and pathways that transmit dopamine are related to the pleasure of listening to music.

An example is the influence of hip hop on people that listen to it. Hip-hop is a music genre whose rhythm is associated with rapping and rhyming speech that is chanted. Hip-hop is classified as part of hip-hop culture and is defined under four classifications, including rapping, graffiti execution, sampling, and beatboxing. Since the early 90s, hip-hop has undergone considerable changes that several individuals would consider degenerating to behaviors and cultures of African Americans. The genre of music has evolved drastically to what is referred to as commercial music without rhythm. There are effects of rap on behavior that have been an issue of question about African American Attitudes.

Hip-hop has both positive and negative side effects on culture. Hip-hop music provides the generation with several means of artistic expression. In most aspects, this type of music is considered to be a form of urban storytelling; this is done through a rhyme scheme, metaphors, and poetic elements. Research also shows that African Americans are at the greatest risk of being processed through the criminal justice system. Hip-hop has emerged as an intervention and a voice for African Americans against discrimination. Most individuals that participate in Hip-hop culture are identified as criminals. Authorities associate their culture with extreme violence and hatred against authorities, especially the police (Irby 15 ). On the other hand, Hip Hop unites African Americans.

Pop music, on the other hand, has a negative influence on teens because the songs include references to sex, drugs, violence, and alcohol. There are multiple songs that drive the youth to be rebellious against the authority as well as the degradation of women or make people be involved in self-destructive behaviors. Music affects impressionable listeners and also their mood so that they act according to how their emotions are triggered.

How Music Affects Knowledge

Music affects knowledge more so for child development. According to Klingberg et al. (2002), scientific research has established that listening to music during childhood accelerates brain development. It quickly develops a minor's emotional and overall literacy by learning bout sounds, as well as the meaning of words. It also helps in their mental development by strengthening their memory skills. Thus exposure to music can be instrumental in a child's mental development.

Parents and caregivers are advised to provide infants with quiet background music as the infant sleeps. It is also advisable that an adult should sing simple short songs when engaging with them in daily activities like during bath time, dressing, or when feeding them. The singing helps in the development of an infant as they instinctively try to mimic sounds they hear around them.

This age grade needs music that encourages the use of words and memorization. A parent (or caregiver) can use humor and theatricals props to capture their full. Parents are encouraged to sing songs that they learn in school or at home. For school-going children, it's

preferable to stick to the songs they are taught at school. For this age range, it is advisable to incorporate sing-alongs that involve counting numbers, and spelling words in a sequential manner. This encourages their cognitive and memory skills. This age-group is very responsive to music that has play elements. It is advisable that when engaging with a toddler or school going child using music, parents may use educational cartoons or musical plays that teach kids life skills.

A practical example is the Lullaby songs that are often to soothe the child into sleep. They boost their brain development and boost their emotional and social skills. These songs are sung during bedtime. Different aspects of music are incorporated to help provide a quiet environment needed for the child to sleep. The pitch and low intonation help make the song soothing.

The child's sensory nerves relax due to the rhythm flow of the song. Parents don't need the voice of an angel to put their kids to bed. A song like "Twinkle, twinkle little star" has stood the test of time. What makes it famous is the truth it speaks. Children look up to the sky, trying to understand the stars. The song is sung in the night when looking out through a window admiring the celestial spheres Toddlers and school children respond to music when they are actively involved in it. Toddlers are enthusiastic and possess a lot of energy for play.

Works cited

Bergman Nutley, Sissela, Fahimeh Darki, and Torkel Klingberg. "Music practice is associated with development of working memory during childhood and adolescence." Frontiers in human neuroscience 7 (2014): 926.

Irby, Decoteau J. "Urban is floating face down in the mainstream: Using hip-hop-based education research to resurrect "the urban" in urban education." Urban Education 50.1 (2015): 7-30.

Thompson, William Forde, and Kirk N. Olsen. "On the enjoyment of violence and aggression in music. Comment on "An integrative review of the enjoyment of sadness associated with music" by Tuomas Eerola et al." Physics of life reviews 25 (2018): 128-130.

Triplett, Andrew. Music and Aggression: Effects of Lyrics and Background Music on Aggressive Behavior. Diss. Loyola University Chicago, 2016.