Abstract
Research on specific qualities of music used for relaxation has shown conflicting results. The use of different familiar or pre-composed pieces, with many simultaneous changes, might limit the ability to discriminate which musical element is responsible for the relaxation response. To address the latter, we examined the relaxing effects of music on three psychophysiological measures (heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with one original piece of music, and three modified versions (altering one musical element in each version). We investigated whether participants’ psychophysiological responses reflected a more “relaxed” state (lower heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with slower tempo (45 bpm), mellow timbre (bass clarinet), or smaller amplitude (-10 dB). We also investigated whether psychophysiological responses were consistent with self-report scores. Visual inspection of psychophysiological data indicated two distinct responder profiles, and a logistic regression confirmed this distinction. Using mixed ANCOVAs, we found significant differences between participants (responders and non-responders) in skin conductance level. No correlations between psychophysiological measures and self-reports were found. These findings raise interesting questions regarding the mechanisms behind the relaxing effects of music.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Psychology of Music |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Jan 1 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- music therapy
- music-assisted
- musical elements
- relaxation
- responders
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Music
- Psychology (miscellaneous)
Cite this
What makes music relaxing? An investigation into musical elements. / Hernandez-Ruiz, Eugenia; James, Bianca; Noll, Jordan; Chrysikou, Evangelia G.
In: Psychology of Music, 01.01.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - What makes music relaxing? An investigation into musical elements
AU - Hernandez-Ruiz, Eugenia
AU - James, Bianca
AU - Noll, Jordan
AU - Chrysikou, Evangelia G.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Research on specific qualities of music used for relaxation has shown conflicting results. The use of different familiar or pre-composed pieces, with many simultaneous changes, might limit the ability to discriminate which musical element is responsible for the relaxation response. To address the latter, we examined the relaxing effects of music on three psychophysiological measures (heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with one original piece of music, and three modified versions (altering one musical element in each version). We investigated whether participants’ psychophysiological responses reflected a more “relaxed” state (lower heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with slower tempo (45 bpm), mellow timbre (bass clarinet), or smaller amplitude (-10 dB). We also investigated whether psychophysiological responses were consistent with self-report scores. Visual inspection of psychophysiological data indicated two distinct responder profiles, and a logistic regression confirmed this distinction. Using mixed ANCOVAs, we found significant differences between participants (responders and non-responders) in skin conductance level. No correlations between psychophysiological measures and self-reports were found. These findings raise interesting questions regarding the mechanisms behind the relaxing effects of music.
AB - Research on specific qualities of music used for relaxation has shown conflicting results. The use of different familiar or pre-composed pieces, with many simultaneous changes, might limit the ability to discriminate which musical element is responsible for the relaxation response. To address the latter, we examined the relaxing effects of music on three psychophysiological measures (heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with one original piece of music, and three modified versions (altering one musical element in each version). We investigated whether participants’ psychophysiological responses reflected a more “relaxed” state (lower heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance) with slower tempo (45 bpm), mellow timbre (bass clarinet), or smaller amplitude (-10 dB). We also investigated whether psychophysiological responses were consistent with self-report scores. Visual inspection of psychophysiological data indicated two distinct responder profiles, and a logistic regression confirmed this distinction. Using mixed ANCOVAs, we found significant differences between participants (responders and non-responders) in skin conductance level. No correlations between psychophysiological measures and self-reports were found. These findings raise interesting questions regarding the mechanisms behind the relaxing effects of music.
KW - music therapy
KW - music-assisted
KW - musical elements
KW - relaxation
KW - responders
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059354568&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85059354568&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0305735618798027
DO - 10.1177/0305735618798027
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059354568
JO - Psychology of Music
JF - Psychology of Music
SN - 0305-7356
ER -