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Dissertation
Overwhelming consumption: how the number of song choices and mood affect music consumption on music streaming services
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
May 2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/y63s-b949
Abstract
Mood Management Theory (MMT) has been used to study the relationship between mood states and music consumption. However, this theory has not been thoroughly tested in regard to the new media, especially in the music streaming services field. Given the abundance of options on music streaming services, individuals are presented with the paradox of choice that could affect their music consumption and mood states. According to Schwartz (2004), having too many choices contributes to the overwhelmed feeling in decision making. The Theory of Information Overload also indicates that individuals would have an increase in negative emotions and a decrease in positive emotions when the amount of information surpasses individuals' capacity of information processing. Thus, this study investigates four main research questions: 1) whether the Theory of Information Overload could be applied to music consumption; 2) how the number of song choices and perceived information overload affected mood management; 3) how individual differences affected the relationship between the number of song choices and information overload; and 4) how the number of song choices affected an individual's subjective states. The study used a 2 (mood: Happy, Sad) x 2 (the number of song choices: 20 songs, 100 songs) between-subject factorial experiment to examine these research questions. The results showed that more song choices led to a higher degree of perceived information overload, a higher likelihood of consuming familiar songs, and a higher degree of enjoyment in the song-selecting process. When testing the interaction between the number of song choices and mood, the results showed that individuals who were in a sad mood and presented with more song choices had a higher degree of information overload and lower degree of enjoyment in the song-selecting process compared to those in a happy mood. In addition, maximizers were more likely to feel confused when choosing a song and more likely to regret their decision than satisficers.
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Details
- Title
- Overwhelming consumption
- Creators
- Fei Jia - DU
- Contributors
- Ernest A. Hakanen (Advisor) - Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 118 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Arts and Sciences; Communication, Culture, and Media; Communication; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 9560; 991014632718204721