Investigating the Effects of Lyrical and Instrumental Music on Reducing Stress

Abstract

The common feeling of stress is typically combatted with the listening of music of various genres. Previous studies conducted on music and stress have shown lyrical and instrumental music have the same effect in terms of reducing physical stress. However, certain meta-analyses have produced seemingly differing results, highlighting instrumental music as more efficient for psychological stress-reduction. This paper seeks to identify the effects of both lyrical and instrumental music on physical and psychological stress. This was accomplished by having participants listen to a ten minute instrumental and ten minute lyrical song. Stress was calculated via blood pressure, heart rate, and a visual analog scale survey.This study found that both lyrical and instrumental music are equally effective at reducing physical stress but instrumental music was found to be more effective at reducing psychological stress. These findings will allow the public to be better informed as to what effect their music choices will have on their stress level. This will be highly relevant for people who lead high-stress lifestyles, including but not limited to students, professionals, and athletes.