Listening to music and physiological and psychological functioning: The mediating role of emotion regulation and stress reactivity
Open accessAbstract
Music listening has been suggested to have short-term beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and potential mediating mechanisms between various aspects of habitual music-listening behaviour and physiological and psychological functioning. An internet-based survey was conducted in university students, measuring habitual music-listening behaviour, emotion regulation, stress reactivity, as well as physiological and psychological functioning. A total of 1230 individuals (mean = 24.89 ± 5.34 years, 55.3% women) completed the questionnaire. Quantitative aspects of habitual music-listening behaviour, i.e. average duration of music listening and subjective relevance of music, were not associated with physiological and psychological functioning. In contrast, qualitative aspects, i.e. reasons for listening (especially 'reducing loneliness and aggression', and 'arousing or intensifying specific emotions') were significantly related to physiological and psychological functioning (all p = 0.001). These direct effects were mediated by distress-augmenting emotion regulation and individual stress reactivity. The habitual music-listening behaviour appears to be a multifaceted behaviour that is further influenced by dispositions that are usually not related to music listening. Consequently, habitual music-listening behaviour is not obviously linked to physiological and psychological functioning.
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Music behavior differs as a matter of how emotions are regulated in general.
“given that stress [45], as well as music behavior [46,47] differs as a matter of how emotions are regulated in general”
From The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response (2013) · cites this paper as [47]
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The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response
Thoma, M. V., La Marca, R., Brönnimann, R., Finkel, L., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070156 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
“What is more, given that stress [45], as well as music behavior [46,47] differs as a matter of how emotions are regulated in general, traits of emotion regulation should always be controlled, particularly in investigations examining the effect of music on stress.”
BackgroundSelf-citation
- Authors
- Thoma, M. V., Scholz, U., Ehlert, U., & Nater, U. M.
- Affiliations
- Brandeis University (US)
- University of Zurich (CH)
- Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Nater, U.M.
- Venue
- Psychology & Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2011-06-14
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 227-241
- ISSN
- 0887-0446 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-8321
- OpenAlex
- W2125459168
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- nbn-resolving.de
- Locations
- Psychology and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Volkswagen Foundation
- Universität Zürich (56233208)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Literature and Literary Theory › Media Influence and Health
- Keywords
- music listening, emotion regulation, stress reactivity, physiological function, psychological functioning, mediating mechanisms, loneliness, aggression, emotional arousal, university students
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Music, Surveys and Questionnaires, Stress, Psychological, Switzerland, Young Adult
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