According to an article that appears in Discovery News (April 2011):
People love music for much the same reason they’re drawn to sex, drugs, gambling and delicious food, according to new research. When you listen to tunes that move you, the study found, your brain releases dopamine, a chemical involved in both motivation and addiction.
Here’s the basic gist:
- Listening to moving music causes the brain to release dopamine, a feel-good chemical.
- Dopamine-induced pleasure may help explain why music has been such a big part of human societies throughout history.
- Understanding why people like listening to music is helping scientists understand human pleasure
Moral of the story: Fix Monday, hump-day and Friday blues by incorporating a dose of tunes to your daily diet. The associated boost in dopamine will not only facilitate concentration, pleasure and learning but make you more productive to boot
Come on get happy! (I couldn’t resist)
Monica Mehta 