Positive musical effects on two types of negative stressful conditions
Abstract
The present study focused on mood effects of high-tempo (HT) or low-tempo (LT) music on a high-or a low-arousal stressful task condition (HST or LST), manipulating the relationship between affective valence and psycho-physiological arousal. In Experiment 1, 20 participants listened to the HT or LT music immediately after the HST or LST condition, determining heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), respiratory rate (RR), cortisol (CS) concentration level, and visual analogue scales (VAS). Experiment 2 established a 10-minute rest between stressful and musical conditions by using a method similar to that used in Experiment 1. Consequently, in Experiment 1, the LT music significantly reduced HR levels under the HST condition. In addition, in subjective vector analyses derived from the VAS, the LT music indicated stress-distractive effects on the HST condition (arousal allopathy) and on the LST condition (arousal sympathy). In Experiment 2, there were arousal-moderating effects of the LT music in all stress groups.
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A major shortcoming in previous work is the vast neglect of the control of confounding variables.
“From the perspective of biopsychological stress research, a major shortcoming is the vast neglect of the control of confounding variables [25–27].”
From The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response (2013) · cites this paper as [27]
Some other investigations did not find a meaningful impact of music on cortisol.
“However, some other investigations did not find a meaningful impact of music on cortisol [26,27].”
From The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response (2013) · cites this paper as [27]
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- Authors
- Yamamoto, M., Naga, S., & Shimizu, J.
- Affiliations
- Aichi Shukutoku University (JP)
- Fujita Health University (JP)
- ORCID
- Shimizu, Jun
- Venue
- Psychology of Music
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-04
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 249-275
- ISSN
- 0305-7356 (ISSN-L)
- 1741-3087
- OpenAlex
- W2104771324
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology of Music (publishedVersion)
- 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 tempo, stress, arousal, heart rate, skin conductance, cortisol, mood, emotional valence
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