• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.109-132
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• 2019

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between music listening and mood regulation. The effects of personality traits, music education, and sex on music use for mood regulation were also examined. Participants were 529 undergraduate students who completed the Korean Music in Mood Regulation Scale, Interpersonal Personality Item Pool (IPIP), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule, and a questionnaire on their music education. Correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and t tests were conducted to explore the relationship among the measured variables. The results showed that music listening was related to enhancement of positive mood but not improvement of negative mood. Participants who had received extracurricular music education were more likely to use music listening as a strategy to regulate their mood than were participants without music education. Women were more likely to use music for mood regulation than were men. The multiple regression results indicate that individuals who rated themselves highly on Agreeableness and Openness to Experience on the IPIP were more likely to listen to music for mood regulation. These findings stress that music listening can be an effective strategy for mood regulation, which is critical for one's emotional well-being. It also indicates that effective music use as a mood regulation strategy varies depending on one's personal characteristics and history of music education.