32th APS Chicago

Poster Session 28908, 2020

On the effects of Rap music with encouraging lyrics on autonomic nerves
and moods in college students◯Takashi Morikawa, M.A.!, Kei Hikoji, Ph.D.2 Shinya Kameshima, Ph.D.3, , and Noriko Nagata, Ph.D.1!1Kwansei Gakuin University

Abstract

2Wakayama University ,3Kansai University of Welfare Sciences,"

This study examined how rap music with encouraging lyrics

affected the autonomic nerves and mood of 32 college students. Participants listened
to three conditions of music while wearing an electrocardiogram (ECG), and completedtwo scales. The analysis results revealed that the main effect was on the motivation ofthe participants.
Objective This study examined how rap music with encouraging lyrics affects theautonomic nerves and mood of 32 college students. In previous studies, it could not be
determined whether the cause of mood induction and motivation is caused by the musicas a whole or as the effect of only the instruments on the same song. In particular, very
few studies have measured subjective evaluations and physiological indicessimultaneously.
MethodParticipants.

The participants were 32 college students from Japan (15 females,

17 males, mean age: 21 years).
Measure.

(1) A scale on the effect of music on mood with 11-point Likert scale.

(e.g., “I feel positive.” “I was encouraged.” “I feel relaxed.” “I feel pain.” “I am sad.”), (2)(TDMS-ST) Two-dimensional Mood Scale-Short Term, (3) electrocardiogram (ECG).
Emotional responsiveness biomarkers were assessed using high frequency heart ratevariability (HF HRV) data and sympathetic vagal balance (LF / HF) calculations using
ECG data.
Material.

Rap music of AK-69 which was played with and without lyrics(instrumental music), and without the instruments.

32th APS Chicago

Procedure.

Poster Session 28908, 2020

Participants were asked to relax for four minutes while their ECG

was measured as baseline. They then listened to music for four minutes (with acondition randomly selected from the three conditions described above), completed 2scales, and relaxed for four minutes. This procedure was repeated three times.
Result.

Results of one-way ANOVA on the 2 scales on the effect of musicon mood showed that there were important effects on motivation. Results of analyses
showed that motivation was higher on music with lyrics (p<.05).
As a result of a Wilcoxon signed rank sum test in the amount of change of HF
and LF / HF from resting to listening to music, the score average without lyrics wassignificantly higher in HF (p< .05). The score average with lyrics was significantly higherin LH / HF (p< .05).
Discussion.

Analyses of each item showed significant differences in the “I feelpositive” and “I was encouraged” items of the scale on the effect of music on mood.
Results of TDMS-ST showing significant differences suggested that music with lyrics
affected the motivation of college students the most. A significant difference in theeffect of music on the mood item “I feel relaxed” and the “I feel relaxed” item in TDMSST suggested instrumental music had a relaxing impact. The analysis of each parameterof heart rate variability, that is LF/HF, revealed that sympathetic nerves were more
activated with lyrics than without. On the other hand, HF, parasympathetic nerve activity
that is, was confirmed to be significantly more activated without lyrics than with them.
From these results, we conclude that music with encouraging lyrics increases
motivation and arousal of university students. In addition, instrumental versions of thesame songs were confirmed to have a relaxing and soothing effect on university
students. Future investigations will examine and compare the influence of self-selectedsongs, sports scenes, and other ages of participants.
Correspondence regarding this study may beaddressed to the first author attaka.morikawa@kwansei.ac.jp
orTakashi Morikawa, M.A.
Graduate School of Science and TechnologyKWANSEI GAKUIN UNIVERSITYHYOGO 669-1337 JAPAN