New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Music has the amazing ability to awaken strong emotional responses. People all over the world use music as an easy way to relieve stress or uplift their mood.
Although listeners can experience anything from sadness to thrills, positive emotions are known to dominate musical experiences.
Listening to enjoyable melodies can initiate the release of neurotransmitters that are associated with rewards, for example, dopamine. And dopamine is a type of chemical messenger that has a role in the way we feel pleasure. It also helps us in the thinking and planning processes, as well as focusing and finding things interesting. A brain is a fascinating machine able to translate sounds into rewarding experiences.
Besides emotions, it can also influence human behavior, and some of the most interesting examples of such effects are best seen in consumer actions, gaming, and casino gambling. Let's dive in.
Music in Video Games
A great example where music influences behavior largely - gaming. Music is one of the core components of video games, right next to visuals and interactivity. Carefully selected tunes can transform the players' experience and make them feel like they've been transported into a whole different place (just imagine how differently you would experience a game, or a video, without sound effects and music attached to it).
It works together with the visuals and the whole context of the game, and it helps the players blend with the imaginary world they are interacting with and feel its atmosphere. For example, in horror-themed games like Death Stranding, or Silent Hill, or action games, it brings added intensity and helps build suspense, while in fun and cartoonish games it maintains the cheerful tone that keeps the players engaged.
Creating moments within gameplay is another significant role of each game's musical background. Different tunes help the players differentiate between casual parts of the game where the character is just moving through it, and the key moments when something important is about to happen or a huge obstacle is about to be met. In both scenarios, an appropriate tune is there to help the users connect with the gameplay and stay involved in the action.
The Influence on Casino Gaming
Second example worth mentioning - music for gambling. Casinos want the players to stay as long as possible instead of leaving quickly, and they use carefully selected compositions to create a pleasurable atmosphere. The goal is to make the guests feel relaxed, comfortable, and happy as they indulge in their favorite games.
Online casinos turn to different tempos and genres to encourage different actions. They use slow and inviting melodies to make each player stay longer, get to know the dealer and other players, and end up playing more games. Such tunes make the players enjoy the time spent gambling, even if some money is lost in the meantime.
Music is also there to amplify the excitement after big winnings. The theme you hear after winning a jackpot creates a rewarding response in your brain and it makes you want to hear the tune again and again.
When it comes to online casinos, music is there to enhance the atmosphere and make you feel as if you're in a land-based establishment, without ever having to leave the comfort of your home. You can easily check it out yourself and try out some of the most popular casino games in places like SkyCity online casino, and test how much you'll enjoy their soundtracks and sound effects.
The Effect on Shopping Behavior
Last but not least - shopping. There are three different qualities of music that affect buying behavior in the retail environment: volume, tempo, and genre.
Back in 1966, an experiment conducted by Smith and Curnow showed that the music volume affects the time spent in stores, where too loud songs made shoppers leave faster than softer melodies did. The tempo, on the other hand, affects the sales volume. Playing slow tunes in grocery stores is proven to increase gross product sales by 32%. As for restaurants, slow tunes cause customers to spend more time eating and also spend more money on alcohol. Well, there definitely is something in that chill, slow jazz, and lounge music that makes us feel good and relaxed.
A study conducted in a wine store compared the effect of classical pieces with the one of top 40 pop songs. The results have shown that buyers tend to go for more expensive bottles when the classical compositions are on. Even the origin of the piece can affect the buyer's decision and they are more likely to buy French wines when French songs are being played, and German ones with German songs in the background.
Whatever the melody is, sometimes it feels like some compositions can speak to our hearts. It strongly affects emotional experiences, and more often than not, it affects people's behavior, too. From daily buyer decisions to gaming experiences, music largely contributes to our decision-making and the way we perceive and feel the world around us.
