Music is a stimulus capable of triggering an array of basic and complex emotions. We investigated whether and how individuals employ music to induce specific emotional states in everyday situations for the purpose of emotion regulation. Furthermore, we wanted to examine whether specific emotion-regulation styles influence music selection in specific situations. Participants indicated how likely it would be that they would want to listen to various pieces of music (which are known to elicit specific emotions) in various emotional situations. Data (...) analyses by means of non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed a clear preference for pieces of music that were emotionally congruent with an emotional situation. In addition, we found that specific emotion-regulation styles might influence the selection of pieces of music characterised by specific emotions. Our findings demonstrate emotion-congruent music selection and highlight the important role of specific emotion-regulation styles in the selection of music in everyday situations. (shrink)

ObjectiveAlthough childhood adversity can have lasting effects into later life, positive adaptations have also been observed, including an increased tendency toward prosocial behavior. However, little is known about the link between childhood adversity and later life prosocial behavior, with a particular scarcity of research on intrafamilial childhood adversity. Therefore, this study aimed to examine older adult's experiences of childhood adversity and identify mechanisms linked to prosocial behavior. Two adversity contexts were compared to explore individual, as well as broader cultural and (...) contextual mechanisms linking childhood adversity and later life prosocial behavior.MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with N = 29 Irish adult survivors of childhood adversity: n = 12 intrafamilial survivors, n = 17 institutional survivors. Interviews were analyzed using the framework analysis method, with reference to the conceptual model of altruism born of suffering.ResultsFive themes were identified on prosocial mechanisms, with three themes in both survivor groups, and two group-specific themes.ConclusionResults identified motivational processes and volitional factors linked to later life prosocial behavior. Connections to caring roles, support, and social norms in childhood, as well as the need for a sense of purpose and meaning from the adversities in adulthood, highlight potential targets for psychotherapeutic intervention to promote prosocial responding and positive adaptation for childhood adversity survivors. (shrink)