The responses of feelings and reactions in the autonomic nervous system through listening to music

2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 15592231
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Fundamental nursing
• Research Institution: Tottori University
• Principal Investigator: FUKADA Mika Tottori University, Faculty of Medicine, Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (10218894)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MINAMIMAE Keiko Tottori University, Faculty of Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (30252878) ; KASAGI Noriko Tottori University, Faculty of Medicine, Assistant Professor, 医学部, 講師 (60185741) ; MATSUDA Akiko Tottori University, Faculty of Medicine, Research Associate, 医学部, 助手 (00346347) ; ITO Yasuyo Tottori University, Faculty of Medicine, Research Associate, 医学部, 助手 (70379626)
• Project Period (FY): 2003 – 2006
• Keywords: music / feeling / autonomic nervous system

Research Abstract

We investigated individual differences in reactions to music from the point of sensitivity to music and we attempted to clarify responses to personal feelings and reactions in the autonomic nervous system which are caused by music through consideration of the following points :
1. The influence of differences in listening to a musical piece to pain tolerance under low temperature stimulation.
We found from the use of 1/f fluctuation music (music that has the quality of "fluttering") that feelings of pleasure through listening to music increased and that displeasure was reduced. A person's favorite music is effective in diverting their attention from pain, and the possibility of a person being easily led to state of mind which is effective for tolerating pain was shown.
2. Differences in changes of feeling based on differences in listening to music.
It became clear to us that music which is not in agreement with a person's feelings evokes the negative responses of insecurity and fatigue.
3. Feeling responses and reactions in the autonomic nervous system during simultaneous music and massage.
When a decreased load factor shows a stress reaction, parasympathetic nervous system activity increases through music and massage. However, it became clear that this did not exert any change on sympathetic nerve activity. Moreover, we were not able to find the relation between reactions of change of state in feelings and reactions in the autonomic nervous system.
4. The effect on relaxation to psychological stress in workers listening to background music.
Results on the degree of fatigue showed that the effect was relief from psychological stress while background music was playing. However, no difference was found in CgA.