title: Music listening as a means of stress reduction in daily life.
abstract: The relation between music listening and stress is inconsistently reported across studies, with the major part of studies being set in experimental settings. Furthermore, the psychobiological mechanisms for a potential stress-reducing effect remain unclear. We examined the potential stress-reducing effect of music listening in everyday life using both subjective and objective indicators of stress. Fifty-five healthy university students were examined in an ambulatory assessment study, both during a regular term week (five days) and during an examination week (five days). Participants rated their current music-listening behavior and perceived stress levels four times per day, and a sub-sample (n = 25) additionally provided saliva samples for the later analysis of cortisol and alpha-amylase on two consecutive days during both weeks. Results revealed that mere music listening was effective in reducing subjective stress levels (p = 0.010). The most profound effects were found when 'relaxation' was stated as the reason for music listening, with subsequent decreases in subjective stress levels (p ≤ 0.001) and lower cortisol concentrations (p ≤ 0.001). Alpha-amylase varied as a function of the arousal of the selected music, with energizing music increasing and relaxing music decreasing alpha-amylase activity (p = 0.025). These findings suggest that music listening can be considered a means of stress reduction in daily life, especially if it is listened to for the reason of relaxation. Furthermore, these results shed light on the physiological mechanisms underlying the stress-reducing effect of music, with music listening differentially affecting the physiological stress systems.
authors.affiliation: University of Marburg, Department of Psychology, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linnemann
authors.affiliation: Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Psychology, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ditzen
authors.affiliation: University of Marburg, Department of Psychology, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strahler
authors.affiliation: University of Marburg, Department of Psychology, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.affiliation: University of Marburg, Department of Psychology, Marburg, Germany. Electronic address: nater@uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Urs M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Nater
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology*; D012063:Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Alpha-amylase; Ambulatory assessment; Cortisol; Music listening; Stress reduction