Stress is an increasingly prevalent state experienced by many individuals, but mood regulation and relaxation can alleviate some of its associated symptoms. While music listening has generally been shown to support stress alleviation, less is known about how individual differences potentially guide the choice of music for this purpose. The present study focused on depression and anxiety as individual differences that might relate to the selection of relaxation music. Through an online questionnaire, 93 participants provided ~20 minutes (median number of tracks per participant = 6) of self-selected relaxation music and completed questionnaires measuring depression, anxiety and previous use of music for mood regulation and adaptive functions. We compared Spotify audio features of the relaxation music to general music and found that relaxation music had higher levels of Acousticness and lower levels of Speechiness, Energy, Valence, Liveness, Instrumentalness, Danceability and Loudness. Through clustering, we identified three subgroups of relaxation music (i.e., 'loud-energetic-danceable', 'neutral-acoustic' and 'mellow-instrumental'). Finally, results showed that higher depression scores increased the likelihood of selecting relaxation music from the 'loud-energetic-danceable' cluster over the remaining two, while higher anxiety scores increased the likelihood of selecting music from the 'mellow-instrumental' cluster over the 'loud-energetic-danceable' cluster. Previous use of music for mood regulation, but not adaptive functions, also predicted music selection for relaxation. This research advances our understanding of how different individuals use music to reduce stress and relax and provides guidance on how music can adaptively cater for these purposes.

Previous research showed that the impact of background music (BgM) on cognitive performance is influenced by various task-, music-, and listener-specific factors. However, it remains unclear whether these impacts are mirrored in real-life music listening contexts, and past research has revealed various inconsistencies. In this research, we explored university students' music-listening habits while studying, combining retrospective surveys with a mobile experience sampling methodology to obtain more context-based information about their behaviours, and tried to explore previous contradictory findings. Our results indicate that (a) the likelihood of studying with BgM decreases with age; (b) while studying (compared to other contexts), students listen more to instrumental, softer, slower, and lower energy and valence music; (c) students listen to music while performing (self-perceived) difficult study tasks, in which the music's energy level decreases with increased perceived task difficulty; and (d) students use BgM to balance between the affective and cognitive impact of music on their study outcome. We conclude by suggesting that to better understand BgM's role in the interplay between affective and cognitive goals, and the ways they may favour or hinder cognitive performance, future research should explore music-listening habits over longer durations of cognitive engagement.

Background:Personalized Interactive Music Systems (PIMSs) are emerging as promising devices for enhancing physical activity and exercise outcomes. By leveraging real-time data and adaptive technologies, PIMSs align musical features, such as tempo and genre, with users' physical activity patterns, including frequency and intensity, enhancing their overall experience. Objective:This exploratory systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of PIMSs across physical, psychophysical, and affective domains. Methods:Searches across 9 databases identified 18 eligible studies, of which 6 (comprising 17 intervention arms) contained sufficient data for meta-analysis. Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regression were performed to assess outcomes for physical activity levels, physical exertion, ratings of perceived exertion, and affective valence. Results:Results showed significant improvements in physical activity levels (g=0.49, CI 0.07 to 0.91, P=.02, k=4) and affective valence (g=1.65, CI 0.35 to 2.96, P=.01, k=4), with faster music tempo identified as a significant moderator (P=.03). No significant effects were observed for ratings of perceived exertion (g=0.72, CI -0.13 to 1.58, P=.10, k=3) or physical exertion (g=0.78, CI -0.55 to 2.11, P=.25, k=5). Conclusions:Substantial heterogeneity and limited study quality indicate the need for more robust, randomized controlled trials to establish the efficacy of PIMSs in diverse populations.

The use of Personalised Interactive Music Systems (PIMS) may provide benefits in promoting physical activity levels. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the overall impact of PIMS in physical activity and exercise domains. Separate random effects meta-analyses were conducted for outcomes in physical activity levels, physical exertion, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and affect. In total, 18 studies were identified. Of these, six studies (with 17 total intervention arms) reported data on at least one outcome of interest, from which an effect size could be calculated. PIMS were significantly associated with beneficial changes in physical activity levels ( g = 0.49, CI [0.07, 0.91], p = 0.02, k = 4, n = 76) and affect ( g = 1.68, CI [0.15, 3.20], p = 0.03, k = 4, n = 122). However, no significant benefit of PIMS use was found for RPE ( g = 0.72, CI [™0.14, 1.59], p = 0.10, k = 3, n = 77) or physical exertion ( g = 0.79, CI [-0.64, 2.10], p = 0.28, k = 5, n = 142). Overall, results support the preliminary use of PIMS across a variety of physical activities to promote physical activity levels and positive affect. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement The authors declared that the work was supported by the Research Council of Finland program 2022, 2029. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article [and/or] its supplementary materials accessed here: OSF,

Anxiety is among the most commonly experienced affective states—prominent in both everyday emotions, and a range of mood disorders. Music seems to be an effective tool for managing negative mood states, but recent research indicates that anxiety may be a particularly challenging state to self-regulate, even for those without diagnosed anxiety disorders. In this study, the use of music for anxiety self-management in everyday life is explored. Data consist of free descriptions by adult participants ( N = 36), collected through an online survey and analyzed with data-led thematic analysis. Findings indicate that music listening is often considered helpful with milder states of anxiety—particularly when an individual has control over the choice of music—and that different regulatory strategies are required to deal with different forms of anxiety. These strategies can provide help in a number of ways, such as recognizing or validating emotions, or positive refocusing. In future research, the possibility of unrecognized maladaptive strategies in music listening should be addressed, as well as the mechanisms behind avoidance of music related to high levels of anxiety.

While music listening on mobile phones can serve many affect-regulatory goals, success in reaching these goals is yet to be empirically assessed. This study aimed to determine how frequently listeners successfully reach their affect-regulatory goals, and the predictors of this success. Data were collected using the experience sampling app MuPsych, from 293 Finnish participants. Goals were successfully reached in less than half of cases, with adults more successful than adolescents. Success was determined largely within contexts, and strongly predicted by an initial low-valenced emotional state of the listener, suggesting that music listening is particularly useful for those in negative states.

Beyond immediate health risks, the COVID-19 pandemic poses a variety of stressors, which may require expensive or unavailable strategies during a pandemic (e.g., therapy, socialising). Here, we asked whether musical engagement is an effective strategy for socio-emotional coping. During the first lockdown period (April–May 2020), we surveyed changes in music listening and making behaviours of over 5000 people, with representative samples from three continents. More than half of respondents reported engaging with music to cope. People experiencing increased negative emotions used music for solitary emotional regulation, whereas people experiencing increased positive emotions used music as a proxy for social interaction. Light gradient-boosted regressor models were used to identify the most important predictors of an individual’s use of music to cope, the foremost of which was, intriguingly, their interest in “coronamusic.” Overall, our results emphasise the importance of real-time musical responses to societal crises, as well as individually tailored adaptations in musical behaviours to meet socio-emotional needs.

Sense of agency refers to the ability to influence one's functioning and environment, relating to self-efficacy, and wellbeing. In youth, agency may be challenged by external demands or redefinition of self-image. Music, having heightened relevance for the young, has been argued to provide feelings of self-agency for them. Yet, there is little empirical research on how music impacts adolescents' daily sense of agency. The current study investigated whether music listening influences adolescents' perceived agency in everyday life and which contextual determinants would explain such an influence. Participants were 44 adolescents (48% female, 36% with training in music, mean age 14), recruited through local schools. The mobile Experience Sampling app MuPsych was used to collect brief self-reports of personal music listening experiences during daily life. This method assessed the change in the listener's perceived control over both their emotional states (internal agency), and their external environment (external agency), over 5 min of music listening. Also measured were changes in mood states, and contextual variables (social situation, concurrent activity, and reason for listening). The impact of music on the sense of agency was analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling. There was no general increase of agency across all music episodes, but agency fluctuations were determined by specific contextual factors. External agency change was predicted negatively by changing environments, while internal agency change was predicted by initial mood and various reasons for listening, including for enjoyment, coping, and enhancing current mood state. Our findings confirmed the plasticity and situational embeddedness of the sense of agency. Music indeed can support agency, but the impact is dependent on a range of situational factors. Sense of agency can be seen as a health resource and significant part of youth development, and current findings provide new insight into when and by which conditions such affordance is likely to be employed.

Music is a source of daily pleasure, and positive emotional experiences and rewarding functions of music have been actively studied. Yet, knowledge about the interrelatedness of emotional and motivational constituents of musical pleasure is sparse. This study explored the characteristic emotional contents of music-induced pleasure, their relation to motivations for music and whether the underlying dimensionality of these aspects was specific to music (in comparison to the visual domain). Data were collected through an online questionnaire ( N = 464), measuring evoked emotions and motivational pleasure types that the respondents related to a musical piece or a visual object inducing pleasure in their daily life. Exploratory factor analyses indicated six-factor models for evoked emotions and three-factor models for pleasure types and regression analyses about their interrelatedness suggested an underlying two-dimensional conceptualization: On one hand, musical pleasure stems from music-induced sensations of relaxation, power, and passion. On the other hand, musical pleasure centers on the feeling of kinship relating to social values and mental contemplation. Minor domain-specificity of this constitution of pleasure in comparison to the visual domain was observed. Overall, the study provides novel perspectives for understanding the complex emotional–motivational features directing individuals’ daily engagement with music listening.

Personal music listening on mobile phones is rapidly growing as a popular means of everyday engagement with music. This portable and flexible style of listening allows for the immediate selection of music to fulfil emotional needs, presenting it as a powerful resource for emotion regulation. The experience sampling method (ESM) is ideal for observing music listening behavior, as it assesses current subjective experience during natural everyday music episodes. The current study aimed to develop a comprehensive model of personal music listening, and to determine the interaction of variables that produce various emotional outcomes. Data were collected from 195 participants using the MuPsych app: a mobile ESM designed for the real-time and ecologically valid measurement of personal music listening. Multilevel structural equation modelling was utilized to determine predictors of emotional outcomes on both experience and listener levels. Results revealed that music generally returns affect to a neutral state, but this is counteracted through the selection of mood-congruent music. Emotional reasons for listening, along with critical ranges of initial mood, were found to put listeners at risk of potentially undesirable outcomes. Finally, it was revealed that emotional outcomes are determined almost entirely within situations, which emphasizes the importance of accounting for contextual variables in all music and emotion research. This model has provided valuable insight into personal music listening, and the variables that are influential in producing desired emotional outcomes.

An important aspect of researching everyday music use is determining the reasons people have for listening to music. While this has been the focus of an extensive body of research, findings have been inconsistent, and the frequencies and affective outcomes of different reasons for listening remain unclear. Emotional reasons for listening are of particular interest, as these have been consistently shown to be of central importance to everyday music use. The current study aimed to provide empirical data to clarify the frequencies of reasons for listening, and their affective outcomes, by using the experience sampling method (ESM). Participants (N = 327; mean age 21.02 years, SD = 6.18) used the MuPsych app, a mobile ESM designed for the real-time and ecologically valid measurement of personal music listening. Results revealed that emotional reasons were most frequently used only when the listener was in a negative mood. Listening to cope with a situation or forget problems was associated with negative affective states and poor emotional health and well-being. It was concluded that personal music listening is utilised to fulfil specific emotional needs, which are determined by initial mood, and influenced by emotional health.

The measurement of everyday music use remains a challenge for researchers, with many of the available methodologies limited by intrusiveness or lack of ecological validity. The Experience Sampling Method (ESM) addresses such limitations by assessing current subjective experience at various times throughout participants’ everyday functioning. The aim of the current project was to develop and trial a mobile ESM (m-ESM) capable of collecting event-related data during natural listening episodes. This methodology was designed to maintain a natural and familiar listening experience for participants, and to collect real-time data on personal music listening. An application (app) was created which utilized mobile-device technology, and allowed combination of experience sampling with a personal music player. Analyses were performed on trial data from 101 participants to determine the efficacy of the m-ESM. Results indicated that this methodology would maintain ecological validity and cause minimal intrusion into everyday activities of the listener. Questionnaires were answered immediately at the time of listening, minimizing the problem of retrospective recall biases. This innovative methodology allows for the collection of a wealth of listening data that will advance the accurate measurement of everyday, personal music listening.

Objective: Current debate centres on the inhibitory and conflict interpretations of the N2 and P3 components of the event-related potential (ERP). We examined behavioural responses and ERPs in a cued-Go/NoGo task.Methods: Participants were required to inhibit a planned response (NoGo target after Go cue), change a planned response to a different one (Invalid cueing), and activate an unexpected response (Go target after NoGo cue).Results: Responses were slower when participants had to change a planned response, and execute an unplanned response. N2 was more negative whenever the presented target required a different response to what was expected based on the cue. In contrast, P3 was increased when participants had to change or inhibit a planned response, but not when executing a response where none was planned.Conclusions: N2 results lend support to the conflict account, while P3 reflects cancellation of a planned response.Significance: This paper provides the first test of conflict involving activation of an unplanned response in a cued-Go/NoGo task. (C) 2011 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Previous articleNext article No AccessLouis R. Wilson and the Graduate Library SchoolWilliam M. RandallWilliam M. Randall Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 12, Number 3Jul., 1942 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/615327 Views: 1Total views on this site PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsAmerica's Young Men. The Official Who's Who among the Young Men of the Nation, Vol. I. Durward Howes American Women. The Official Who's Who among the Women of the Nation, 1935-36. Durward HowesWilliam M. RandallWilliam M. Randall Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Library Quarterly Volume 5, Number 4Oct., 1935 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/613762 PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.