Research Question
What effects do different genres of music (classical, rap, pop, country, and jazz) have on one’s heart rate (bpm)?
Aim
The aim of this experiment is to determine if certain genres of music have the ability to stimulate the body by increasing one’s heart rate and to see which genre of music is the most effective at doing so.
Background Information
Heart rate is defined as the speed of the heartbeat and is measured by the number of beats (or contractions) of the heart per minute (bpm) (Merriam Webster). Heart rate is a factor that is unique to each individual and can determine one’s level of physical fitness. That being said, one’s heart rate can be affected by a various number of factors, for example, age, stress levels, physical activity, dietary habits, sleep habits, etc.. In the past, many researchers have done studies on the effects of music and athletic performance (more specifically the effects of music on the heart rates of endurance runners) and while some have found no correlation between the two, some have come to the conclusion that music does indeed raise one’s heart rate. Other studies have found that synchronizing heartbeat to upbeat, fast music can help boost athletic performance in sports where keeping pace is key (like running for example), while calm, sedative music can help one calm down and relax (Koç, Haluk; Curtseıt, Turchıan, 2009).
Get Help With Your Essay
If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!
Essay Writing Service
I choose to do my internal assessment on this topic for several reasons. Firstly, I am an avid fan of sports and watch practically every sporting event that is on TV. While watching, I notice that a plethora of athletes have headphones on, listening to music while arriving at the sports venue, or are listening to music while warming up before their game. I was always intrigued as to why they did this and so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to research into it. I myself am an athlete and I often listen to music while working out in the gym or before my games. Before a football game, my teammates and I often gather inside the locker room and listen to music to get ourselves mentally prepared and in the “flow. I’ve noticed that while listening to music I feel more “pumped-up”, energized, and more productive, so I thought that this was an opportune time to further investigate into music’s effect.
Hypothesis
If one listens to different genres of music at the same volume and for the same amounts of time, then their physiological measurement of heart rate (bpm) will increase the most while listening to rap music and decrease the most while listening to classical music. Since rap music has upbeat, fast rhythms this should result in the subject’s heart synchronizing and thus beating faster (higher bpm). On the contrary,
Variables
Dependent Variable
The dependent variable is the heart rate (bpm). The heart rate will be measured in beats-per-minute (bpm) (±1.0 bpm) and will be measured using a pulse oximeter.
Independent Variable
The independent variable in this experiment is the genre of music being played either classical, rap, pop, country, or jazz. Each genre of music will be played for 4 minutes, then the measurement of physiological activity (heart rate in bpm) will be taken.
Controlled Variables
There are various controlled variables in this experiment:
– Ambient conditions like location, surroundings, lighting, room temperature
– Position of the subject (must remain seated during the entirety of the experiment)
– The amount of time each genre of music is played for (4 minutes)
– The amount of time the subject is rested between each genre of music (5 minutes)
– All genres of music should be played at volume of 89 decibels (80% on an iPhone)
Uncontrolled Variables
There are also various uncontrolled variables in this experiment:
– The physical characteristics of the subject (height, weight, diet, any underlying health conditions that otherwise might skew the data
– The stress level and fatigue of the subject
Experimental Control
– In this experiment, to truly test the effects of the genres of music we will be using an experimental control. The experimental control is the subjects heart rate (bpm) when there is no music being played
Equipment List
– iPhone with access to the songs “Sugarcane” (classical music) by Ana Olgica, “Going Bad” (rap music) by Meek Mill, “Shape of You” (pop music) by Ed Sheeran, “Country Girl” (country music) by Luke Bryan, and “Take Five” (jazz music) by Dave Brubeck
– Noise-canceling headphones
– 5 test subjects (should be randomly chosen)
– Chair
– Table
– Laptop or computer to record the collected data
– Pulse oximeter (±1.0 bpm)
– Timer (± 0.01sec).
Apparatus
Figure 1. Diagram showing the subject seated in a chair and listening to music. The headphones are on the subject’s ears and the pulse oximeter in positioned on their right index finger. The subject is sitting in a relaxed position, with their feet grounded and their arms on the table.
Method
1) Instruct the test subject to in the chair in a relaxed position with their arms on the table and their feet grounded.
2) Place the noise-canceling headphones on the subject’s ears and place the pulse oximeter on the index finger of their dominant hand.
3) Begin the first phase (experimental control) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in the relaxed position for four minutes (with no music playing), use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
4) Let the subject rest for 5 minutes before starting the next phase of the experiment.
5) Begin the second phase (classical music – “Sugarcane” by Ana Olgica) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in a relaxed position. This time, play the song “Sugarcane” at 80% volume (89 decibels) for four minutes. Use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time.
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
6) Let the subject rest for 5 minutes before starting the next phase of the experiment.
7) Begin the third phase (rap music – “Going Bad” by Meek Mill) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in a relaxed position. This time, play the song “Going Bad” at 80% volume (89 decibels) for four minutes. Use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time.
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
8) Let the subject rest for 5 minutes before starting the next phase of the experiment.
9) Begin the fourth phase (pop music – “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in a relaxed position. This time, play the song “Shape of You” at 80% volume (89 decibels) for four minutes. Use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time.
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
10) Let the subject rest for 5 minutes before starting the next phase of the experiment.
11) Begin the fifth phase (country music – “Country Girl” by Luke Byran) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in a relaxed position. This time, play the song “Country Girl” at 80% volume (89 decibels) for four minutes. Use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time.
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
12) Let the subject rest for 5 minutes before starting the next phase of the experiment.
13) Begin the sixth phase (jazz music – “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck) of the experiment.
Let the subject sit in the chair in a relaxed position. This time, play the song “Take Five” at 80% volume (89 decibels) for four minutes. Use the timer for accurate measurement of elapsed time.
At the end of the four minutes observe the pulse oximeter and make note of the measurement (in bpm)
14) Repeat steps 1-13b. for the remaining four subjects.
15) Repeat steps 1-14 four additional times for each of the five subjects.
16) Analyze the recorded data to fully comprehend the results of the experiment
Data and Analysis
Raw Data
Table 1. Heart rates (bpm) of the five subjects after resting, classical, rap, pop, country, and jazz music listening sessions for all five trials
Subjects
Trial
Resting
(bpm± 1.0)
Classical
(bpm± 1.0)
Rap
(bpm± 1.0)
Pop
(bpm± 1.0)
Country (bpm± 1.0)
Jazz
(bpm± 1.0)
Subject 1
1
63
59
75
73
61
61
2
63
61
74
75
59
69
3
64
60
78
79
60
60
4
64
60
76
74
62
62
5
66
62
78
76
64
64
Subject 2
1
66
63
69
79
59
59
2
63
59
67
67
61
61
3
68
65
75
74
66
66
4
67
64
70
80
60
60
5
69
66
70
83
62
64
Subject 3
1
55
51
61
65
59
59
2
53
50
63
65
51
51
3
65
56
69
77
60
60
4
56
52
62
66
60
60
5
58
54
64
68
54
62
Subject 4
1
67
57
71
77
55
55
2
69
61
73
78
61
61
3
74
68
77
79
70
70
4
68
58
72
78
56
56
5
70
60
74
80
58
58
Subject 5
1
63
58
70
72
59
59
2
65
61
73
73
62
62
3
64
59
71
75
58
58
4
64
59
71
73
60
60
5
68
61
73
75
62
62
Data Analysis
Mean
To better understand the collected data various calculations were performed. First, the arithmetic mean (average) was calculated for all 6 variations (resting, classical, rap, pop, country, and jazz) of the experiment, for each of the 5 subjects. This calculation allowed for me to compare the average heart rate (bpm) of each genre and to see what kind of effects each genre had. This also enabled me to see which genre had the most impact on one’s heart rate and which one had the least.
Sample Calculation
Average of rap trials (bpm) for Subject 1: (Trial 1 + Trial 2 + Trial 3 + Trail 4 + Trial 5)/5 = (75 bpm + 74 bpm + 78 bpm + 76 bpm + 78 bpm)/5 = 76.2 bpm
Range
The range was calculated for each music genre in the experiment to see the scope of the recorded data. Range enabled me to see the difference between the highest and the lowest bpm value in a given trial and from this I was able to conclude that the recorded data was consistent for each of the music genres, throughout all five trials.
Sample Calculation
Range of rap trials (bpm) for Subject 1: Largest bpm value – smallest bpm value =
78 bpm -74 bpm = 4 bpm difference
Standard Deviation
Standard deviation calculations were performedfor all five trials of each genre of music tested in the experiment. This calculation enabled to further analyze the scope of the data collected. The standard deviation was low, meaning that the bpm levels throughout the course of the trials remained constant and fairly close to the average value. The low standard deviation value showed that there was very little variance in the collected data.
Sample Calculation
The standard deviation of rap trials (bpm) for Subject 1: Insert the rap bpm values for Subject 1 into Microsoft excel. Select the data and go the “Formulas” tab. Select the formula “STDEV” and press OK. The value for the standard deviation should be approximately 1.79.
Table 2. Average heart rate (bpm), range (bpm) and standard deviation (average data dispersion) of all five test subjects
Subject
Genre of Music
Average (bpm)
Range (bpm)
Standard Deviation
Subject 1
Resting
53.54
3
1.22
Classical
50.52
3
1.14
Rap
63.80
4
1.79
Pop
63.22
6
2.30
Country
51.32
5
1.92
Jazz
53.26
9
3.56
Subject 2
Resting
55.88
6
2.30
Classical
53.28
7
2.70
Rap
58.99
8
2.95
Pop
64.88
16
6.27
Country
51.78
7
2.70
Jazz
52.15
7
2.92
Subject 3
Resting
48.60
12
4.62
Classical
44.23
6
2.41
Rap
53.69
8
3.11
Pop
57.68
12
5.07
Country
48.01
9
4.09
Jazz
49.38
11
4.28
Subject 4
Resting
58.45
7
2.70
Classical
51.39
11
4.32
Rap
61.55
6
2.30
Pop
65.52
3
1.14
Country
51.01
15
6.04
Jazz
51.01
15
6.04
Subject 5
Resting
54.32
5
1.92
Classical
49.89
3
1.34
Rap
59.89
3
1.34
Pop
61.56
3
1.34
Country
50.46
4
1.79
Jazz
50.46
4
1.79
Table 3. Total average heart rate (bpm) of all the test subjects combined, standard deviation (average data dispersion) for each music genre, and percent difference to compare average heart rate (bpm) of each music genre to average heart rate (bpm) of the resting subjects.
Subject
Music Genre
Total Average (bpm)
Total Range (bpm)
Standard Deviation
Percent Difference from Resting (%)
S1-S5 (all subjects)
Resting
64.48
21
4.84
0.0
Classical
59.36
18
4.41
-7.94
Rap
71.04
17
4.76
-10.17
Pop
74.44
18
4.99
+15.45
Country
59.96
19
3.77
-7.0
Jazz
60.76
19
4.01
-5.77
Figure 2. Total average heart rate (bpm) of all the test subjects during each of the different music genre listening sessions (shown in blue) and standard deviation (shown in orange)
Figure 3. Percent difference from resting for all five subjects combined for each of the music genres
Conclusion
My initial hypothesis was that if one listens to rap music, then their physiological measurement of heart rate will increase due to the fact that rap music has upbeat, fast rhythms this should result in the subject’s heart synchronizing and thus beating faster. At first glance of the gathered data, my initial hypothesis seems to valid. However, upon closer examination, the original hypothesis is actually proved to be false. After performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA), I got the value of .418, and any value over .05 means that the data is not statistically significant. Thus, even though there was variance in the data that was collected there isn’t a big enough difference for it to be considered statistically significant. Since the data isn’t statistically significant, the alternate hypothesis was proved true, meaning that both genres of music had virtually no notable effect on the heart rate of the test subjects.
Evaluation of Methods
There were many sources of error in this experiment. Firstly, even though the volume of the iPhone was set to a constant volume of 80% the volume of the songs themselves could have been louder and quieter than desired, thus resulting in skewed data. Another source of error is that the values on the pulse oximeter could have accidentally been misread, or the equipment might not have been calibrated, both of these reasons could have caused skewed data.
In addition to sources of error, there are also some limitations to the experiment performed. First off, it is hard generalizing the results of the experiment to the real world as classical, rap, pop, country, and jazz aren’t the only music genres that exist, there are tens more genres that could have an effect on one’s heart rate. This experiment can’t be generalized to the real world as the ages of the test subjects in the experiment were from 16-17 and people in this age group are more likely to listen to certain genres of music on a daily basis, thus making them desensitized to the physiological effects that certain genres of music might have. In the real world, there are older and younger people that music can have physiological effects on and so the sample of subjects used in this experiment wasn’t a true sample of the world’s general population. To add, the physical well being of the subjects wasn’t taken into consideration, if one of the test subjects had an underlying heart condition that could have skewed the data, resulting in inconclusive data.
Having noted the sources of error and the limitations of the experiment, there are some improvements that can be made to produce more accurate, generalizable results. First, a more accurate, medical-grade heart rate monitor can be used to provide more accurate bpm readings. In selecting genres of music, there can be more genres involved in the study to see if more than just these two genres produce physiological effects. In the future, there can be a more varied selection of test subjects, for example, those of older and younger ages and those who have different preferences in genres of music. If test subjects are varied, then the results of the experiment can be generalized to the real world.
References
Harvard Health Publishing. Tuning in: How music may affect your heart. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/tuning-in-how-music-may-affect-your-heart
Heart Rate. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heart rate
Roque, A. L., Valenti, V. E., Guida, H. L., Campos, M. F., Knap, A., Vanderlei, L. C. M., … Abreu, L. C. de. (2013, July). The effects of auditory stimulation with music on heart rate variability in healthy women. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3715016/
THE EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. Retrieved from https://library.parker.edu/eds/detail?db=s3h&an=53974740&isbn=2285777X
Trappe, H.-J., & Voit, G. (2016, May 20). The Cardiovascular Effect of Musical Genres. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4906829/
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download