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Deconstruct: The Psychological Effect of Listening to Music - Coggle…
Deconstruct: The Psychological Effect of Listening to Music
IVCRADD
Informed Consent
Participants will not be able to take part in the experiment unless they have given consent. They will do this by signing a consent form that details the contents of the experiment
Voluntary Participation
Participants will have complete freedom over whether they choose to participate in the experiment and there will be no coersion or manipulation involved. There will be no negative consequence for those who do not wish to participate.
Confidentiality
Participants will be identified using a number to ensure all personal information is kept confidential. This is important as subjects will be more willing to participate with the knowledge that it is anonymous.
Right to Withdraw
At any stage during the experiment, participants have the right to withdraw and do not have to provide an explanation for their reason.
Accurate Reporting
It is important that the data collected is not manipulated or miscommunicated in any way, as this will destroy the credibility of the entire experiment. The results will be used exactly as they are collected as it will result in an accurate depiction of the impact of music exposure to psychological response
Debriefing and Deception
After the experiment has been conducted, and data collected, all participants involved will recieve a debriefing regarding the findings of the experiment. In general terms, a debriefing involves explaining to participants if any deception was involved as a part of the testing. Deception is only acceptable if if causes no harm whatsoever to the participant of the testing. Deception is not used in this experiment.
Justification: It is crucial that the IVCRADD code of ethics is followed for any psychological experiment as it ensures that the rights and welfare of the participants is protected
Sample:
5 main groups
Control
it is crucial to have a control group in an experiment as without it there would be no baseline to compare and determine the changes in the dependent variable. In this case, the control group will not listen to music
Rock
This group will be given a playlist of a variety of songs that belong to the genre of rock. Other studies on the topic suggest that listening to rock music increases positive emotions, therefore reducing stress and regulating mood
Pop
This group will be given a playlist of well-known and generic pop music to listen to. The results of scientific studies on the topic are inconsistent, some claiming that pop music can help one relax, while others suggest that it causes energeticness
Metal
This group will be given a playlist of hard rock and metal songs. Existing scientific evidence supports the theory that listening to metal music regulates stress by reducing cortisol levels
Jazz
This group will be given a playlist of music belonging to the genre of jazz. Studies claim that listening to jazz stimulates the brain and activates alpha brain waves which result in stress relief and aids concentration
Classical
This group will be given a playlist of calm songs that belong to the genre of classical as studies show that it can reduce stress hormones and blood pressure and is good for studying
Each group will contain 50 participants who have been randomly selected from The University of Adelaide. Extracting the sample from the University of Adelaide is accessible, uncostly, and allows for a wider variety of people and allows for a broader population generalisation
The sample size is restricted to 50 people per sample (300 for population) this will mean the experiment is big enough that enough data can be extrapolated to draw conclusions and determine accurate percentages. It also minimizes cost on difficulty
Potential Problems
data is limited to one age bracket
university students are generally of a relatively high socioeconomic status, and it may not be accurate to generalise when data is limited in this way
Variables
Independent Variable:
The Genre of Music
Dependent Variable
Concentration
This will be measured by a series of cognitive tests (identical for each participant), designed to test for concentration. How well participant's peform in these tests will determine their overall concentration.
Extraneous Variables
Participant variables
Condition
The participant may have some kind of condition such as ADHD which could hinder their ability to complete the cognitive tests
Music Preference
Participant's music preference may cause them to have differing psychological reponses. For example, if a participant highly enjoys a certain song that has been chosen for their playlist, they may find it more distracting. Age may be a contributing factor to participants music taste
Mood Prior
The participant's mood caused by external factors may affect their ability to complete the selected tasks. This may be caused by situational variables
Fatigue
Lack of sleep or other factors that cause fatigue may hinder participant's peformance in the provided tests
situational variables
Time of Day
The participant's performance in their chosen tasks may be affected by the time of day in which the experiment is conducted. For example, if it is near lunchtime, the participant's hunger may hinder their ability to concentrate
Weather
A participant's mood and behaviour may be affected by the weather.
Controlled Variables:
The cognitive concentration test (all participants will recieve the same test)
The amount of time allocated to complete the test
Potential Problems:
It is often difficult to categorise certain types of music as they can be quite broad and subjective therefore it may be inaccurate to generalise the genre as a whole when collecting and collating data
Research Design Types
Experimental (CHOSEN)
In an experimental design, the independent variable can be directly manipulated in order to observe a change in the dependent variable. In this situation, participants will be randomly allocated groups where they will be exposed to certain genres of music and required to complete a cognitive concentration test. The results may help determine the psychological effect of music genres of ability to concentrate
Advantages:
there is a high level of control
research is directed and results are specific
allows researchers to determine a direct cause and effect relationship
Disadvantages:
allows for the posibility of human error
can create situations that are unrealistic
extraneous variables cannot always be controlled
Observational
In an observational design, the researcher passively observes the dependent variable, without any form of intervention or manipulation. The research topic could be tested using this design type by having participants complete a survey on to what extent they listen to music, before observing the correlation between their academic achievements. This would show the participants exposure to music, and whether there was a psychological effect in regards to an higher efficiency in learning
Advantages
lack of interaction allows for the truthful behavioural data
less participant cooperation is required
Disadvantages
research is less directed
More of and less control over extraneous variables
often requires alot of resources and can therefore be difficult to conduct
Qualitative
A qualititative design involves the collection and synthesis of non-numerical (qualititative) data. This could involve an interviewing process with participants as a means to record behavioural patterns and draw conclusions
Advantages
Disadvantages
Methods of Assessment
Subjective Quantitative (CHOSEN)
This method of assessment involves data collection in the form of scales, ratings checklists etc (numerical), but its interpretation is still unique to each participant. In the context of the investigation, this would look like participants being given a numerical test score out of 100 after completing a subjective cognitive test.
Advantages
Less subjective than subjective qualitative data and easier to analyse
Disadvantages
Still subjective enough that it allows participants to interpret differently
Objective Quantitative
This method of asessment is based on measureable data and could be used in this context to measure physiological response such as heart rate as a reaction to the exposure of certain types of music
Advantages
No area for assumptions or bias to take place
Disadvantages
lack of detail in data and less insight into behaviour
Subjective Qualitative
This method of asessment is based on non-numerical data such as descriptions and reports and is highly reflective of individual particpants opinions and perspectivies. In this context, it could involve participants writing a short description of their emotional state after listening to different types of music
Advantages
Can often provide more detailed and insightful data than numerical data
Disadvantages:
highly subjective and reflective of opinions which may allow for bias and assumptions
Research Question
How does the exposure to different kinds of music affect the ability to concentrate?
Prior Research
Concentration
Concentration refers to the ability to focus and remain attentive on the task at hand without distraction. It is essential for the skilled performance of any activity (Moran, 2012)
In psychological terms, concentration can be broken into four main categories: (Concentration, 2023)
external broad
internal broad
external narrow
internal narrow
Concentration is determined by attention span (the length of time that one can focus) and is a skill that can be developed and improved upon
Psychology and Music
Studies suggest that music can influence emotion and psychological response in a number of different ways: (Schäfer et al., 2013)
Enhancing mood
Regulating arousal
Controlling emotions
Reducing stress
Inducing calmness
How Data will be Collected
The concentration of particpants will be measured using a cognitive concentration assessment, a questionnaire that draws conclusions based on ability to withhold information and presents findings as a numerical score
The test has been proven to be an accurate and reliable test and has been tested on multiple populations