THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENRE CHOICE OF MUSIC AND ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOR

Extensive research has documented the relationship between listening to certain genres of music and negative effects on social behavior such as aggressive and antisocial behavior. The present study explored whether there are genres of music associated with altruism. Altruistic behavior is defined as behavior that is consistently more caring, helpful, considerate of other's feelings, and self- sacrificing. These behaviors promote our ability to thrive as a community. Yet, few studies have addressed the relationship between music and altruism. Data was collected from 608 college students who completed a self-report altruism scale, music preference measure, the Marlowe Crowne social desirability scale, and a demographic information form in order to see if there is a relationship between choice of music and altruism. A multiple hierarchal regression analysis found music genre choice accounted for 15.9 percent of variance in self-reported altruism. Significant, positive correlations emerged also between altruism and several music genres including alternative, country, classical, and emo. ; 2011-05-01 ; B.S. ; Sciences, Dept. of Psychology ; Masters ; This record was generated from author submitted information.