Music Listening and Stress in Daily Life\u2014a Matter of Timing

Alexandra Linnemann,Thomas Kubiak,Mario Wenzel,Jennifer Grammes,Urs M Nater

doi:10.1007/s12529-017-9697-5

Abstract

PurposeDespite increasing evidence suggesting that music listening in daily life has stress-reducing effects, studies mostly rely on subjective, retrospective data on music listening. Thus, the temporal dynamics underlying the stress-reducing effect of music listening remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the temporal dynamics of the associations between stress and music listening by assessing subjective and objective data on music in daily life.DesignAn exploratory Ambulatory Assessment study examining a total of 60 participants (37 women), aged 18 to 34 years (M = 22.4 years, SD = 3.5) was conducted.MethodsFor 1 week, participants answered questions on music listening and stress six times per day via an electronic diary device, which additionally objectively sampled the exact time point of music listening and its duration.ResultsSelf-reports on mere music listening were associated with lower stress reports, whereas objectively assessed data was not. However, concerning duration of music listening, both subjective and objective data on music listening showed associations between a minimum of 20 min of music listening and lower stress reports. Concerning the latency, objective data on music listening revealed that the association between stress reports and music listening occurs in a time-delayed manner.ConclusionsAlthough the study design does not allow for causal inferences, substantial associations among subjectively and objectively assessed data on music listening were found to differentially affect the experience of stress after music listening. In particular, when focusing on the temporal dynamics, objectively assessed data allowed for a more fine-grained analysis. In consequence, subjectively and objectively reported data on music listening should be assessed jointly when investigating effects of music listening on health. Experimental research with rigorous methodological control is required in order to corroborate our findings in a laboratory setting.

Highlights

Despite increasing evidence suggesting that music listening in daily life has stress-reducing effects, studies mostly rely on subjective, retrospective data on music listening
We explored the temporal dynamics underlying the association between music listening and stress in terms of duration and latency
As music is ubiquitous in daily life, it might not be possible to objectively assess all music listening that occurs in the soundscape of participants

Summary

Introduction

Despite increasing evidence suggesting that music listening in daily life has stress-reducing effects, studies mostly rely on subjective, retrospective data on music listening. The temporal dynamics underlying the stress-reducing effect of music listening remain unclear. We aimed to examine the temporal dynamics of the associations between stress and music listening by assessing subjective and objective data on music in daily life. Results Self-reports on mere music listening were associated with lower stress reports, whereas objectively assessed data was not. Concerning duration of music listening, both subjective and objective data on music listening showed associations between a minimum of 20 min of music listening and lower stress reports. Concerning the latency, objective data on music listening revealed that the association between stress reports and music listening occurs in a time-delayed manner

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion