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How Does Music Impact Our Emotions? - Coggle Diagram
How Does Music Impact Our Emotions?
Variables
Dependent Variable - Emotions of Participants
The dependent variable is the participant's state of arousal, specifically the changes observed in the arousal. This is the variable that is being affected.
Limitations
The presence of extraneous variables such as individual preferences will affect the results
The distinct focus on arousal/heart rate in relation to music can hinder the main question of the research, which is actually, how does music affect emotions?
Strengths
Arousal is an easily measurable psychological state, which makes it a quantitative measurement. This allows for objective data collection.
The measurement of arousal can be researched through multiple groups, variables and scenarios, and this can increase the reliability of the experiment.
Prior to and during the experiment participants are required to record their baseline heart rate
Comparing arousal to different types of music allows further research into the relationship between music and emotion.
Independent Variable - Type of Music
The independent variable is the type of music. The experiment's aim is to tests rates of arousal based on the type of music the participant is listening to. It is the variable being manipulated.
Strengths
Due to the experimental nature of this experiment, researchers are able to establish cause and effect relationships.
By manipulating the independent variable in a systematic way, researches are able to attribute a certain type of music to observed changes
The findings of this experiment may present applications in real world scenarios such as, music therapy, advertisements, and the entertainment industry.
The way this experiment is presented, researchers are able to flexibly change the independent variable to understand how different genres of music affect arousal.
Limitations
This experiment only presents short-term response to different genres of music, long term listening to the chosen genre of music may yield different responses.
Since music is individually interpreted, there might be a wide range of emotional responses. Researcher's may not be able to categorize simultaneous emotions in "arousal" or "non-arousal"
Certain nuances in musical tempo, rhythm and emotional stories are harder to control and if not properly monitored or controlled can lead to varying results.
Ethical Considerations
Informed Consent - Ensuring participants know what the musical content is made of; e.g. genre, length, emotional context and that they provide clear and comprehensive consent.
Participants were given a form in which the experiment's context was described and the participants had given signed consent
Do Not Harm - Participants may have been subjected to emotional harm due to the contents of the music, the bpm of the techno/rock music may have bought certain distress for participants
Debriefing - Ensuring that participants leave with a full understanding of the study and its purpose to prevent any harm caused by the study and its processes.
Method - Physiological Measurement
Limitations
Since participants are required to record their own heart rate into the form, there is no way to monitor them personally and affirm that they were being honest.
If participants are not honest about there true heart rate, they may feel pressure to record results which confirm to societal bias
There is a lack of contextual responses, especially when there are a lot of underlying components to emotions
Strengths
Through this method of measurement, participants are able to share objective data and this eliminated the risk of researcher bias
Most physiological measurements, such as measuring the heart rate are non-invasive and do not display any ethical concerns.
By measuring the heart rate in real time it provides real time analysis of their arousal rates and allows for faster data collection
Investigation Design Type
Objective Quantitative
Limitations
There might still be selection bias or measurement in this type of collection data
There is a possibility in errors of the equipment used to measure heart rate and the sequence of music
This type of data may not capture the complexities of real life phenomenon, this is especially true in the case of this experiment which describes the effects of music on emotions.
Strengths
Eliminates researcher bias on data set
It is easier to manipulate variables in a setting where objective quantitative data is collected
It is easier to replicate the data with different research methods, which makes the repeated data, credible
Subjective Quantitative
Limitations
Limited insight into biological processes
Participants may respond with average results of conform to the 'ideal answer' for most questions without room for complexity
This type of data is limited to an individual's self response and may not capture the true experiences of a person
Strengths
Elimination of Researcher Bias
Reliable and accurate results
Easy to interpret
This type of data can be used in relation with qualitative data, which can provide insight into the research
Impacting Factors
Exhaustion - Physical health plays a major role in the monitoring of the heart rate. Students who have been physically active prior to the experiment may have a higher heart rate compared to some of their peers.
Stress Levels - Participants may have existing stressors, especially since it is a group of high schoolers who have spent a significant amount of the day in a busy environment, raising stress levels/anxiety and subsequently raising heart levels.
Type of Song - A completely foreign genre of music may cause their heart rate to spike, but if they remain familiar with it, they might appear calmer.
Baseline Heart Rate - If the participants baseline heart is either too high or too low to being with and they relax over time it will provide inaccurate results. Participants should start at an average baseline heart rate to ensure proper results.
Sample v Population
Potential Problems - The original set of students consisting of approximately 90 year 10 and 11 students from Glenunga International High School does not prove to be a wide enough data set. Since the students are from a certain demographic of the school, with certain influences from this specific area doesn't represent the broader population.
Population - The population that was to be tested in this experiment was students from all over Australia, but since only a certain demographic of students were used in this study, the data gathered cannot be used for further study.
Socio-Economic - Teenage students have a lot of socio-economic influences that affect their choices.
Students, especially at a developing age have changing music preferences, influenced by their peers. It can be hard to determine what they like at which point in interest.
Social status can also act as an influence. Students from affluent parts of society may have different tastes to students from a middle-class background.
The living environment of a student may affect their emotional response to music. If a student lives in a noisy and crowded environment, their heart rate may remain unaffected by techno/rock music.