Boy George commands you to contribute money to alleviate starvation in Africa! (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Music has a real effect on us. Why, I’m listening to music right now (Devo) and it’ll probably help shape this post. Case in point: There’s a new study out in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin that covers how songs with prosocial lyrics have a prosocial impact on its listeners. Take, for instance, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Remember Band Aid? The all-star group recorded that song 25 years ago to raise money for famine-stricken African nations. And it worked; the single raised over 8 million pounds. That’s pretty prosocial. Same goes for songs like “We Are the World” and “Hands Across America.”

These songs represent the most bluntly overt prosocial lyrics, of course. But other prosocial songs, like just about anything recorded in the late 60s, also have a similar effect. And the study in the Bulletin concluded that these songs affect us by stimulating our senses of interpersonal empathy. We hear about the little kid dying of starvation in Ethiopia, circa 1984, and we are moved to action. It makes sense; we didn’t walk around thinking about starving Ethiopians generally over here in the U.S. It took a call to action to move us to action.

The 8 million pounds raised by Band Aid reveals media’s impact on us. Not all songs are prosocial; there are plenty of songs out there that qualify as antisocial. Does the converse of prosocial lyrics’ effect on our empathy hold true? Do antisocial songs spur antisocial behavior? It would appear that way. There’s been even more research on the effects of antisocial lyrics. One of the earlier studies of this ilk (1992) examined the effect of hard rock and rap on the behavior of mental patients at a state hospital. Patients in two groups were exposed to a steady diet of hard rock and rap for 21 days or just as lengthy exposure to easy listening and country and Western. Lo and behold, the patients who listened to hard rock and rap showed more inappropriate behavior than the cowboys and Kenny Loggins.

That study and other like it have spurred investigations into and indictments of music and video games and anything else that might be turning kids into little deviants, because of course it couldn’t be disengaged parents or poorly-operated public schools or a diet consisting of 90 percent HFCS. Much of the research has come to the same conclusion: music with antisocial lyrics (starring rap!) fosters antisocial behavior. I’m not necessarily disputing this, having accidentally brainwashed myself as a teenager listening to Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle relentlessly for several consecutive weeks. My point is there’s not a lot that can be done about it, what with that pesky First Amendment. Ask Luther Campbell and 2 Live Crew.

The powerful effect music can have on the human psyche isn’t lost on law enforcement and the military. Interestingly, both groups have concluded that music can also be used as a form of torture — especially depending on the song. In standoffs and secret prisons around the world, songs you know and hate and maybe love have made an appearance to create sleep deprivation, intimidation and just generally drive people nuts. I was sent a list of music used as torture (thanks for the link, LOML): In the Waco standoff with the Branch Davidians, the FBI played Mitch Miller’s entire album, “Christmas Sing-Along With Mitch.” At Guantanamo, detainees are treated to Barney’s theme song, “I Love You” and the Meow Mix jingle.  Over. And Over. And Over. Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” was played during the standoff outside Manuel Noriega’s mansion in Panama. David Gray’s “Babylon” was on regular rotation at Abu Ghraib. It just goes on like this.

Here’s the complete list of songs used as instruments of torture around the world. Pretty neat.

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