Extreme metal and rap music with violent themes are sometimes blamed for eliciting antisocial behaviours, but growing evidence suggests that music with violent themes can have positive emotional, cognitive, and social consequences for fans. We addressed this apparent paradox by comparing how fans of violent and non-violent music respond emotionally to music. We also characterised the psychosocial functions of music for fans of violent and non-violent music, and their passion for music. Fans of violent extreme metal (n=46), violent rap (n=49), and non-violent classical music (n=50) responded to questionnaires evaluating the cognitive (self-reflection, self-regulation) and social (social bonding) functions of their preferred music and the nature of their passion for it. They then listened to four one-minute excerpts of music and rated ten emotional descriptors for each excerpt. The top five emotions reported by the three groups of fans were positive, with empowerment and joy the emotions rated highest. However, compared with classical music fans, fans of violent music assigned significantly lower ratings to positive emotions and higher ratings to negative emotions. Fans of violent music also utilised their preferred music for positive psychosocial functions to a similar or sometimes greater extent than classical fans. Harmonious passion for music predicted positive emotional outcomes for all three groups of fans, whereas obsessive passion predicted negative emotional outcomes. Those high in harmonious passion also tended to use music for cognitive and social functions. We propose that fans of violent music use their preferred music to induce an equal balance of positive and negative emotions.

有时，带有暴力主题的极端金属和说唱音乐会引起反社会行为，但越来越多的证据表明，带有暴力主题的音乐会对粉丝产生积极的情感，认知和社会影响。我们通过比较暴力和非暴力音乐迷对音乐的情感回应来解决这一明显的悖论。我们还描述了暴力和非暴力音乐迷的音乐心理社会功能以及他们对音乐的热情。暴力极端金属（n = 46），暴力说唱（n = 49）和非暴力古典音乐（n= 50）对问卷进行了评估，以评估他们偏爱音乐的认知（自我反射，自我调节）和社会（社会纽带）功能，以及对其的热情性质。然后，他们听了四首一分钟的音乐摘录，并为每个摘录定下了十个情感描述符。三组粉丝报告的前五种情绪是积极的，赋予力量和欢乐的情绪是最高的。但是，与古典音乐迷相比，暴力音乐的迷对积极情绪的评价低得多，对消极情绪的评价较高。狂热的音乐迷也将他们偏爱的音乐用于积极的社会心理功能，其程度与古典音乐迷类似或有时更大。对音乐的和谐热情预示着三组粉丝的积极情感成果，而痴迷的激情预示着负面的情绪结果。那些对和谐充满热情的人也倾向于将音乐用于认知和社交功能。我们建议暴力音乐的迷们使用他们偏爱的音乐来诱发积极和消极情绪的平等平衡。