Wednesday, December 21, 2016 Happy Tunes Guide Magazine You can’t escape it at this time of year. Walk into any mall or store and “Jingle Bells,” “White Christmas,” or some other Christmas season song will be playing. The stores do this because it gets you in the mood for Christmas shopping and spending. We all know that music affects mood, which is why so much research has gone into finding the right music to play in stores. But music affects not only customers but also employees. New research by Kevin Kniffin, who teaches at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, and his colleagues found that happy music had a positive effect on employees. In a series of experiments, the researchers found that people who listen to happy music in a group setting are more cooperative and less self-interested than those who listen to screamo music (a form of emo music typically featuring screaming vocals) or those who did not listen to any music. Because they found no difference in the level of cooperation between those who listened to screamo and those who were not exposed to any music, the researchers concluded that it was the happy music that made the difference. Need everyone to get along to solve a problem or brainstorm new ideas at work? Listening to some happy tunes just might do the trick. Here are the songs that the researchers played. Happy Playlist “Walking on Sunshine,” by Katrina and The Waves “Happy Days,” by Pratt and McClain “Yellow Submarine,” by The Beatles “Brown-Eyed Girl,” by Van Morrison Screamo Playlist “Smokahontas,” by Attack Attack! “You Ain’t No Family,” by iwrestledabearonce Source: hbr.org You might be interested in Why We Work Safely 5 Jun 2026 Standing Your Ground, and Staying Steady on the Job 4 Jun 2026 CLAC Partners with Alberta Government to Advance Skilled Trades Training and Accelerate Certification 4 Jun 2026 Strathcona Mechanical Workers Ratify New Agreement Providing Wage, Scheduling Improvements 3 Jun 2026