June 26, 2026 – New research suggests that the emotional impact of music depends more on why a person listens than on their personality or background.
A study published in the Journal of Research in Personality examined what makes music feel emotionally complex, meaning the ability to feel happy and sad at the same time while listening. Researchers surveyed 2,137 people from 84 countries, aged 16 to 81.
Each participant named one personally meaningful piece of music, rated the emotions it brought up, and shared how often they listened to music for seven reasons: as background noise, to bring up memories, for fun, to feel the emotions in the music, to change their mood, to express who they are, and to feel connected to others.
The researchers then analyzed how personality, age, cultural background, and listening purpose shaped emotional responses. While emotional responses to music have been studied before, this was one of the first large-scale studies to examine what drives emotional complexity across cultures and individual differences.
Nearly 90% of participants reported feeling some mix of positive and negative emotions while listening to their chosen song. More than 30% gave the highest rating to at least one positive and one negative emotion at the same time. That is considerably higher than what has been found in other emotional contexts. For comparison, roughly half of graduating students and 44% of viewers watching the film Life Is Beautiful reported the same.
The reason for listening mattered far more than personality. People who used music to recall memories, express their identity, or fully immerse themselves in the emotions the music conveys reported the richest, most layered experiences. People who listened mainly to distract themselves or shift their mood reported less emotional complexity.
Personality traits like conscientiousness and emotional stability did predict slightly lower emotional complexity, but their influence was small compared to how people engaged with the music. Age also played a role. Older participants tended to experience less emotional complexity, which researchers suggest may reflect a gradual shift toward seeking more positive, uncomplicated emotional experiences as people grow older.
Cultural background influenced emotional complexity, but only through how people listened. People with stronger individualistic tendencies, particularly those oriented toward personal achievement and standing out, were more likely to use music for self-expression and memory recall. That led to richer emotional experiences. The effect ran entirely through how people engaged with music, not just who they are.
The study’s findings suggest that when people put on music to distract themselves, boost their mood, or fill the silence, they steer the experience toward a clear outcome, usually a positive one. The emotional path is relatively straightforward. But when people listen to music tied to memories or their sense of self, things get more layered. A song from a meaningful relationship carries both the warmth of the memory and the ache of its distance. A track that defined a particular era of a person’s life can bring up pride, nostalgia, longing, and grief all at once.
This is the difference between using music as a mirror and using it as a mood manager. When a person is not trying to change how they feel, they are sitting with it instead.
Researchers recommend that people build memory playlists intentionally, rather than letting an algorithm surface nostalgic songs at random. Curating a playlist tied to meaningful chapters of life can serve as a form of reflection. The research suggests that memory-linked listening is one of the strongest drivers of rich, layered emotional experiences.
Choosing reflection over distraction sometimes also helps. Using music to boost mood or tune out noise is common, but occasionally choosing music for its emotional resonance, rather than its ability to shift state, opens up a deeper inner experience.
Noticing what identity-linked music brings up is also valuable. Songs tied to a person’s sense of self, who they were, who they are becoming, or what they value, tend to produce the most emotionally layered responses. If a song consistently hits differently, it may be worth asking what it reflects about the listener, not just their mood.
The takeaway is that nearly 90% of people experience some mix of emotions when listening to personally meaningful music. The strongest predictor of that emotional richness is why they are listening, not who they are. Using music to recall memories, express identity, or emotionally immerse oneself produces richer, more layered responses than using it for distraction or mood management.
