Listening to music and physiological and psychological functioning: The mediating role of emotion regulation and stress reactivity

Abstract

Music listening has been suggested to have short term beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and potential mediating mechanisms between various aspects of habitual music listening behaviour and physiological and psychological functioning. An internet based survey was conducted in university students, measuring habitual music listening behaviour, emotion regulation, stress reactivity, as well as physiological and psychological functioning. A total of 1230 individuals (mean 24.89 AE 5.34 years, 55.3% women) completed the questionnaire. Quantitative aspects of habitual music listening behaviour, i.e. average duration of music listening and subjective relevance of music, were not associated with physiological and psychological functioning. In contrast, qualitative aspects, i.e. reasons for listening (especially 'reducing loneliness and aggression', and 'arousing or intensifying specific emotions') were significantly related to physiological and psychological functioning (all p 0.001). These direct effects were mediated by distress augmenting emotion regulation and individual stress reactivity. The habitual music listening behaviour appears to be a multifaceted behaviour that is further influenced by dispositions that are usually not related to music listening. Consequently, habitual music listening behaviour is not obviously linked to physiological and psychological functioning.

Toward a better understanding and conceptualization of affect self-regulation through music: A critical, integrative literature review

“…This matter is important given the results indicating the presence of a relationship between the strategic use of music and mental health or wellbeing (Thoma, Scholz, et al, 2012).…”

“…The first level of the GSTM framework concerns the goals of affect regulation. Some studies have created lists of goals based on the existing literature and presented them to participants (e.g., Thoma, Scholz, et al, 2012); others extracted possible goals via grounded theory (e.g., Bishop et al, 2007); still others reduced regulation goals into theory-driven categories such as changing, creating, enhancing and maintaining affective states (e.g., Van…”

“…Music is used to regulate several components of affect in daily life: emotion, mood, motivation, focus, impulses and arousal levels (DeNora, 1999). The use of music is based on different goals related to the maintenance, maximisation, change or inducement of affect (Thoma, Scholz, et al, 2012;Van Goethem & Sloboda, 2011). The pursuit of these goals is supported by strategies that fit the individual (e.g., Gebhardt & Von Georgi, 2007;Saarikallio & Erkkilä, 2007).…”

“…Both in healthy and clinical samples, the use of music to entertain and induce positive states correlates with higher levels of wellbeing (Gebhardt et al, 2014;Thomson et al, 2004). Nevertheless, certain uses of music for affect regulation are related to symptoms of mental distress, both in adolescents (Miranda & Claes, 2009;Miranda et al, 2010) and adults (Thoma, Scholz, et al, 2012).…”

“…Pursued goals (Thoma, Scholz, et al, 2012), emotion regulation difficulties (Chen et al, 2007;Greenwood & Long, 2009), personality traits (Barcewicz, 2012;Chamorro-Premuzic et al, 2009), relationships with music (Ter Bogt et al, 2011), and affective reactivity to music were some of the personal factors related to the regulatory use of music.…”