The Effect of Music Genre and Volume on a Person's Heart Rate and Reaction Time
School Name
Heathwood Hall
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Physiology and Health
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
In this research project, the effect of music genre and volume on a person's heart rate and reaction time were examined on 24 driving age participants. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of music on a driver's ability to stay focused. It was hypothesized that higher volumes and more intense music would lead to increased heart rates and reaction times. The students performed three trials on each subject, over a span of a couple days, with the same genre of music so that all trials could be averaged and analyzed using an ANOVA test. Three different volumes were tested with a different song used for each volume to see if any changes would occur in heart rate or reaction time. The researchers found that in the pop genre there was no significant difference in heart rate between volumes, however, there was a statistically significant difference in reaction time. There was no statistically significant difference in heart rate between volumes, or reaction times when reviewing the data from the Hard Rock subjects. Concerning the classical genre, there was no statistically significant difference in heart rate between volumes or in reaction time, though the numbers follow the same trend as pop and hard rock. In conclusion, the researcher’s hypothesis was not fully supported for all genres and volumes. In most cases, the heart rate of the test subjects did not increase with volume or a more intense genre.
Recommended Citation
Lauterbach, Julia and Willhide, Kate, "The Effect of Music Genre and Volume on a Person's Heart Rate and Reaction Time" (2017). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 214.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2017/all/214
Location
Wall 321
Start Date
3-25-2017 9:00 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
Yes
The Effect of Music Genre and Volume on a Person's Heart Rate and Reaction Time
Wall 321
In this research project, the effect of music genre and volume on a person's heart rate and reaction time were examined on 24 driving age participants. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of music on a driver's ability to stay focused. It was hypothesized that higher volumes and more intense music would lead to increased heart rates and reaction times. The students performed three trials on each subject, over a span of a couple days, with the same genre of music so that all trials could be averaged and analyzed using an ANOVA test. Three different volumes were tested with a different song used for each volume to see if any changes would occur in heart rate or reaction time. The researchers found that in the pop genre there was no significant difference in heart rate between volumes, however, there was a statistically significant difference in reaction time. There was no statistically significant difference in heart rate between volumes, or reaction times when reviewing the data from the Hard Rock subjects. Concerning the classical genre, there was no statistically significant difference in heart rate between volumes or in reaction time, though the numbers follow the same trend as pop and hard rock. In conclusion, the researcher’s hypothesis was not fully supported for all genres and volumes. In most cases, the heart rate of the test subjects did not increase with volume or a more intense genre.
