The Effect of Listening to Calming Music

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to explore how listening to 15 minutes of specially designed calming music affects feelings of calmness and the body's autonomic state. The study investigates whether measures of autonomic nervous system reactivity relate to overall participant functioning, examines immediate effects of the music, identifies personal factors influencing these effects, and evaluates changes in oxytocin levels and heart rate variability after listening to the music. The study has two phases. In Phase 1, participants attend an online workshop where they complete surveys before and after listening to a brief music demo followed by a 15-minute augmented music session. In Phase 2, participants are randomly assigned to listen to either 15 minutes of augmented music or 15 minutes of control music (a Mahler composition). This phase includes pre- and post-surveys, saliva samples for oxytocin measurement, and continuous heart rate monitoring using a wearable device before, during, and after the music session. Participants will be involved in online surveys, saliva sample collection, and wearing a heart rate monitor during music sessions lasting about 25 minutes. Researchers will assess subjective calmness, autonomic function, and physiological responses such as oxytocin levels and heart rate changes. The study compares differences between those who listen to augmented versus control music and tracks individual traits that may affect responses. Total participation time varies based on phase and activities.

Listening to Calming Music