Psychological Effects Caused by The Transition of The Romantic Music Era to The 20th Century Music Era

Abstract

This study explores the psychological effects caused by the transition of the Romantic music Era (1800-1910) to the 20th Century music Era (1900-present day), focusing on how the listener perceives the emotional, compositional, and educational responses to various pieces of music. Research suggests that while Romantic Era is popular for its traditional harmonies, emotive depth, non-musical stimuli, and autobiography, the 20th Century Era challenges tradition and introduces experimental techniques, making it the most disliked and misunderstood Era. To test the research, the author conducted twenty qualitative surveys, with four participants having some formal musical education and sixteen having no musical education. Each survey contained questions on the participant’s age, musical background, favorite musical Era, emotional/artistic judgment, and psychological response to music. The data shows that the expectations, psychological responses, and cognitive aspects reveal how listeners with different backgrounds respond to the Romantic and 20th Century Eras differently.