Key result
Fast-tempo music during high-load simulated driving elicited higher affective arousal, lower HRV (SDNN), and more risky behaviors compared to slow or no music.
Why the study?
The study examined the interactive effects of task load and music tempo on cognition, affect, cardiac response, and safety-relevant behaviour during simulated driving.
Does music tempo and task load affect psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioural outcomes during simulated driving?
Does music tempo and task load affect psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioural outcomes during simulated driving?
Fast-tempo music during simulated driving is associated with reduced heart rate variability and increased risky driving behaviors.
High task load dominates simulated driving responses over music; leaves open real-world translation to cardiac and safety outcomes.
We examined the interactive effects of task load and music tempo on cognition, affect, cardiac response, and safety-relevant behaviour during simulated driving. Using a counterbalanced, within-subjects design, participants (N = 46) were exposed to fast-, slow-, and no-music conditions at high and low loads in a high-grade simulator. Task load had the most salient effect across a broad swath of variables. For core affect, the Load × Music Condition interaction showed that, under high load, affective arousal scores were higher in the fast-tempo condition vs. slow. A main effect of tempo emerged for the HRV index of SDNN, with fast-tempo music eliciting lower scores than both slow- and no-music conditions. Behavioural data showed a main effect of tempo for risk ratings, with fast-tempo music eliciting the highest scores for a traffic-light trigger. Our findings indicate that drivers in high-load, urban environments should exercise caution in their use of fast-tempo music. Practitioner summary: We examined the interactive effects of task load and music tempo in simulated driving (urban and highway). Cognition, mood, cardiac response, and driving behaviour were assessed. Participants exhibited more risky behaviours in response to fast-tempo music. Drivers should exercise caution in their use of up-tempo music in urban settings.
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Karageorghis et al. (2021) studied simulated driving (n=46). Fast-tempo music and high task load vs. Slow-tempo and no-music conditions at low and high loads was evaluated on cognition, affect, cardiac response, and safety-relevant behaviour. Fast-tempo music during high-load simulated driving elicited higher affective arousal, lower HRV (SDNN), and more risky behaviors compared to slow or no music.
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