To Feel Greater Power, Add Some Decibels to the Bass

Research participants who listened to a generic piece of music with the bass turned up 15 decibels reported greater feelings of power than those who heard the same music but with the bass turned down 15 decibels (an average of 6.06 versus 5.15 on a 7-point dominant-feelings scale), says a team led by Dennis Y. Hsu of Northwestern University. Moreover, the feelings lasted after the music had stopped. Listening to heavy bass tones and other kinds of powerful music may be an effective and convenient way for people to activate their personal sense of power, the researchers say.