The impact of music types on stress

Viahya Burnett

Is there a difference between calm and rock music with managing stress?

Alt Text

  • Did you know that stress is linked to the six leading causes of death in America? Who knew stress had this much impact, what if there was a way to reduce the seriousness of stress would you try it?

Music Type

  • Music type is a categorical definition of the kind of music playing, the type can be identified by the variables such as the type of instruments being played or beats.

  • Operational definition

    • By taking two different music types rock and calm and having the music played in the background at a high and low volume. While the music was playing participants were reading a stressful story. The volumes of the music was manipulated and either played at 30-40 decibels for quiet or played at 70-90 decibels for high volume.

Music Volume

  • Construct definition
    • The amount of decibels that can be heard from music
  • Operational definition
    • Participants were given the instructions to play the music at a high volume or a low volume which would include them randomly being assigned to high volume rock music or high volume calm music.

Stress

  • Construct definition
    • Stress is a state of the mind where there is emotional strain or tension that can be a result from circumstances.
  • Operational definition
    • Stress was measured by participants completing a standardized stress scale called the percieved stress scale which included 11 questions regarding how the participant felt at the moment. Including questions like “In the last month, how often have you felt that you were unable to control the important things in your life?” and “In the last month, how often have you felt confident about your ability to handle your personal problems?”

Hypotheses

Main IV music type
Calm music Rock music
Music Volume Low volume music high stress high stress
high volume low stress high stress

Picture of Figure of actual results

My Figure

Discussion

  • 1 Limitation would be this study was not generalized, it was distributed to individuals in a social psychology course.
  • 1 Strength would be there is prior research of music playing in the background which had a positve effect on individuals.
  • 1 Implication would be that this could potentially be a strategy to reduce stress.

Take Home message

Although, the data was not in support of the hypotheses this will now open doors for more potential research studies of music. Maybe someone could do a future research study on whether or not gender affects whether the music impacts someone.