Study links song lyrics, violence

Remember when all those fussy Moral Majority types said that exposure to music with violent lyrics can prompt aggressive behavior? Seems they’re right, according to a study published in the May issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The study, conducted by researchers in Iowa and Texas, found a link between listening to violent song lyrics and feelings of aggression and hostility, bolstering arguments that such content can lead to violent behavior -- a finding that belies the notion that violent music provides a cathartic release for anger and negative feelings.

Results from five experiments involving more than 500 college students strongly suggest that listening to songs with violent lyrics increases feelings of aggression, at least in the short term. Such feelings can influence the way people view social interactions, leading them to interpret ambiguous actions as hostile and react more aggressively in turn, the study says.

The lead researcher was Craig A. Anderson, chairman of the psychology department at Iowa State University.