Neuroscientists first tracked brain activity when people listen to music some time ago, and psychologists have analysed the effects that specific genres have on our emotions. The product of some pretty inspirational co-evolution, music helps us to reconcile our instinctual emotional needs with the demands of a modern world increasingly defined by speech and logic.

The notion that music is in a position to “produce” feelings of happiness is borne out to some extent by the work of neuroscience researcher Valori Salumpoor at Canada’s McGill university. She is able to visualise those goosebump moments we get from music – from Mozart to Metallica – using brain imaging technology. The study found that a region of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens lit up as participants experienced a surge of the feel-good hormone dopamine during moments of intense auditory stimulation.

Something that science can categorically confirm: the desire to actively regulate our mood is a strong motivator behind listening to music. So we’ve confirmed what we already know, but what happens when we turn things around?

Specifically: if people have a conscious need for their mood to be regulated, why don’t we just go ahead and do it? Especially in retail spaces.