Positive musical effects on two types of negative stressful conditions

The present study focused on mood effects of high-tempo (HT) or low-tempo (LT) music on a high-or a low-arousal stressful task condition (HST or LST), manipulating the relationship between affective valence and psycho-physiological arousal. In Experiment 1, 20 participants listened to the HT or LT music immediately after the HST or LST condition, determining heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), respiratory rate (RR), cortisol (CS) concentration level, and visual analogue scales (VAS). Experiment 2 established a 10-minute rest between stressful and musical conditions by using a method similar to that used in Experiment 1. Consequently, in Experiment 1, the LT music significantly reduced HR levels under the HST condition. In addition, in subjective vector analyses derived from the VAS, the LT music indicated stress-distractive effects on the HST condition (arousal allopathy) and on the LST condition (arousal sympathy). In Experiment 2, there were arousal-moderating effects of the LT music in all stress groups.