Music, Emotion, and Self‐Control: Does Listening to Uplifting Music Replenish Self‐Control Strength for Exercise?

The study investigated the effects of listening to self‐selected uplifting music on positive emotional states and self‐control. The participants ( n = 72; M age 22.26 ± 5.97) performed two endurance handgrip squeezes separated by a varied set of experimental manipulations. In two conditions, participants performed a Stroop (self‐control depletion) task and then either listened to self‐selected uplifting music or rested quietly. Controls performed a reading task and then rested quietly. Listening to uplifting music evoked positive emotional states, F (2, 69) = 6.98, p = .002, partial η 2 = .71; however, participants in both self‐control depletion conditions performed worse than controls on the exercise task ( p ≤ .07). Findings support the strength model of self‐control but raise questions about the effects of positive emotional states on self‐control.