Pettijohn makes Psychology Today magazine
Psychology professor Terry Pettijohn II was featured in the October issue of Psychology Today magazine. "Song lyrics fit the times" is the headline of the article by Sophie Chen.An excerpt:
"During tough times, people's preferences tend toward the mature and the practical. In a study to be published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology,Terry Pettijohn II of Coastal Carolina University and Donald Sacco Jr. of Miami University in Ohio found that from 1955 to 2003, popular songs dealt with more meaningful themes at times when socioeconomic conditions were threatening. Lyrics also focused more on friendships and romances; in hard times, people feel a stronger need for close relationships.
'Popular music tastes reveal the condition of a culture and indicate what society needs,' Pettijohn says."
