The influence of tempo, loudness, and gender of listener on responses to music

Abstract This study explores the impact of gender and two psychophysical stimulus properties of instrumental music (tempo and loudness) on hedonic responses, including judgments of music's affective character and behavioral intentions toward the music. Digital recording technology was used to create multiple versions of an original musical score that varied tempo but held pitch constant. A 2 (slow/fast) by 2 (soft/loud) by 2 (male/female) between‐Ss factorial experiment was conducted. Results indicate that gender moderates the influence of loudness, such that females respond more positively to music at lower volumes. Implications for the differential targeting of men and women through music in ads and in retail environments are discussed. (c) 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.