Key result
Self-selected music improves mood but delays systolic blood pressure recovery versus audiobooks or silence.
Why the study?
Does listening to self-chosen music improve mood and facilitate cardiovascular recovery in participants exposed to acute stress?
RCT (n=123)
randomly assigned
Does listening to self-chosen music improve mood and facilitate cardiovascular recovery in participants exposed to acute stress?
p-value: p=.005
Listening to self-selected music after acute stress improves mood but paradoxically delays systolic blood pressure recovery compared to silence or an audiobook.
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Caution against music for post-stress BP recovery; challenges assumptions of cardiovascular benefit despite mood gains.
Radstaak et al. (2014) conducted an RCT in Stress (n=123). Self-chosen relaxing or happy music vs. Audio book or sitting in silence was evaluated on Mood (positive and negative affect), subjective arousal, rumination, and cardiovascular recovery (blood pressure and heart rate) (p=.005). Listening to self-selected relaxing or happy music improved mood but delayed systolic blood pressure recovery compared with listening to an audio book or sitting in silence (p=0.005).
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