The Influence of Sound on Stress, Anxiety, and Mood

NCT06289634 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Pending
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Multiple studies have highlighted music's ability to evoke diverse emotional states. Past research reveals that factors like musical elements, and the environment impact how people respond emotionally to music. For instance, faster tempos tend to heighten arousal, while minor key compositions evoke more arousal compared to major key compositions. In efforts to induce specific emotions post-stress, the research found that both pleasant and sad music aided stress recovery. Similarly, other researchers noted that positively rated music was more effective in reducing stress than negatively rated music, especially low arousal compositions over high arousal ones. Several studies focused on applying music to reduce stress and anxiety. In addition to man-made musical tones, the positive impact of natural surroundings on emotional state has been widely explored. A psycho-evolutionary viewpoint was offered, suggesting that humans have evolved in natural settings, making us inherently attuned to them physically and psychologically. A non-threatening natural environment, rich in aesthetically pleasing elements like visible escape routes, greenery, and water, tends to reduce stress and generate interest. In this study, the researchers are exploring how different sounds-man-made instrumental music versus natural sounds-affect stress, anxiety, and mood among the students of Medgar Evers College. Using an experimental approach, the researchers will assess pretest stress levels (via the perceived stress scale (PSS), anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7), and mood (four-dimensional mood scale (4DMS) among a sample of students. After randomly dividing them into two groups, each group will listen to one of the designated sounds (man-made music or nature sounds) for 30 minutes daily over 15 days. The researchers will then have them retake the stress, anxiety, and mood scales for post-test comparison. Statistical analysis (mixed ANOVA) will help to compare scores within and between groups. Ultimately, this study aims to determine the influence of tonal input on stress and anxiety levels among students, crucial given the significant stress they often experience.

Conditions

Healthy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Stress

  Measured by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Individual scores on the PSS can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress.

  15 days

• Anxiety

  Measured by General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). The outcome of the questionnaire is reported as a score between 0 and 21 with 0 indicating no anxiety and 21 indicating the highest level of anxiety.

  15 days

• Mood

  Measured by Four Dimension Mood Scale (4DMS), It is designed to measure positive energy (4 items-minimum score is 4 and maximum score is 20), tiredness (5 items, minimum score is 5 and maximum score is 25), negative activation (6 items-minimum score is 6 and maximum score is 30), and relaxation (5 items-minimum score is 5 and maximum score is 25). Higher scores indicate greater appearance of the corresponding mood.

  15 days

Study Arms (2)

Man-made sounds

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants who listen to man-made sounds (music)

Behavioral: Man-made sounds

Natural sounds

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants who listen to natural sounds (e.g., ocean, birds, rain)

Behavioral: Natural sounds

Interventions

Man-made sounds BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be asked to listen to the assigned sounds (relaxing music) for 30 minutes a day for 15 days.

Man-made sounds

Natural sounds BEHAVIORAL

Participants will be asked to listen to the assigned sounds (birds, ocean, wind) for 30 minutes a day for 15 days.

Natural sounds

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being a student at Medgar Evers College, CUNY
• Being 18 years old or older

You may not qualify if:

• Having hearing problems

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medgar Evers College, The City University of New York: lead

Related Publications (4)

• Sokhadze EM. Effects of music on the recovery of autonomic and electrocortical activity after stress induced by aversive visual stimuli. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2007 Mar;32(1):31-50. doi: 10.1007/s10484-007-9033-y.

  PMID: 17333313 BACKGROUND

• van der Zwaag MD, Dijksterhuis C, de Waard D, Mulder BL, Westerink JH, Brookhuis KA. The influence of music on mood and performance while driving. Ergonomics. 2012;55(1):12-22. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2011.638403.

  PMID: 22176481 BACKGROUND

• Wang J, Qiu X, Kulkarni A, Hauer-Jensen M. Calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P regulate the intestinal radiation response. Clin Cancer Res. 2006 Jul 1;12(13):4112-8. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-0592.

  PMID: 16818712 BACKGROUND

• Ulrich RS. Effects of interior design on wellness: theory and recent scientific research. J Health Care Inter Des. 1991;3:97-109.

  PMID: 10123973 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Sumeyra Tosun

  Medgar Evers College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sumeyra Tosun

CONTACT

4704185814; stosun@mec.cuny.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 22, 2024
• First Posted: March 4, 2024
• Study Start: March 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2024
• Study Completion: April 1, 2024
• Last Updated: March 4, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share