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Cited by 34Music Therapy and HealthNeuroscience and Music PerceptionStress Responses and Cortisol

Sex-specific effects of music listening on couples’ stress in everyday life.

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Wuttke-Linnemann, A., Nater, U. M., Ehlert, U., Ditzen, B.·2019·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-40056-0PMC PMC6424968
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Abstract

Music listening in daily life is associated with stress-reducing effects on the individual with increasing effects when music listening occurs in a social context. As little is known about effects on couples, we investigated whether beneficial effects can be found in couples. Forty heterosexual couples were investigated using ambulatory assessment. Participants completed six assessments on music listening and subjective stress per day for five consecutive days. With each assessment, saliva samples for the later analysis of cortisol and alpha-amylase were collected. Music listening affected biopsychological stress markers in women and men, however in different ways: While music listening reduced cortisol in women, it increased alpha-amylase in men. Dyadic effects of music listening on stress markers were found. Men showed lower secretion of cortisol if women listened to music which was more pronounced when couples shared musical preferences. Both men and women showed higher alpha-amylase activity when their partner had listened to music. Music listening influences couples’ psychobiological stress levels in a sex-dependent manner with evidence of dyadic co-variation in physiological responses to music. Interventions for promoting stress reduction should consider that women and men differ in their use of music in everyday life.

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Authors
Wuttke-Linnemann, A., Nater, U. M., Ehlert, U., & Ditzen, B.
Affiliations
  • University of Vienna (AT)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
Corresponding author
Ditzen, B.
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-03-19
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
4880-4880
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41598-019-40056-0
PMC
PMC6424968
OpenAlex
W2924904352
Cited by
34
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1
FWCI
4.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2020-01-28)
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
  • Volkswagen Foundation (II/84905)
  • Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (SNF 105314 124627)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
Keywords
music listening, stress, couples, cortisol, alpha-amylase, sex differences, dyadic effects, stress reduction, ambulatory assessment
MeSH terms
Adult, alpha-Amylases, Auditory Perception, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Music, Music Therapy, Saliva, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Psychological

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