The Influence of Music
on Human Heart Rate
Jimmy Hurley
Grade 9
Central Catholic High School
Introduction: Heartbeat
•
Heartbeat: the frequency of the cardiac cycle.
•
Cardiac Cycle: all of the events related to the flow of
blood pressure and from the beginning of one heartbeat
to the next.
•
Average heart rate for adult humans: 60 to 100 beats per
minute.
•
Factors that effect heartbeat: exercise, body position,
body size, medication use, illness, music, stress,
breathing, pressure, and dehydration.
Introduction: Music
•
Music: A performing art that involves rhythmic
sounds.
•
Elements of music are pitch (melody and harmony),
rhythm (tempo, meter, and articulation), and
dynamics (timbre and texture.)
•
Originated during the Paleolithic area, also called
the Old Stone Age.
Past Study-Oxford University
and Harvard Health Letter
Research at Oxford University showed that music with
a faster tempo increased the heart beat.
Research for the Harvard Health letter was done at the
Massachusetts General Hospital and in medical
facilities in Hong Kong showed that people who listen
to music 20 to 30 minutes everyday had lower blood
pressure than those who did not.
Purpose
•
The purpose of this experiment is to see how
different genres of music effect the heartbeat of
human males and females.
Hypotheses
•
Null Hypothesis- The music will not have an effect
on the heart rate.
•
Alternative Hypothesis 1- The music will have a
significant effect on the heart rate.
•
Alternative Hypothesis 2- Music will effect female
heart rates greater than males.
Materials
•
iPad (music player)
•
iPhone (timer)
•
Music from different genres
•
10 human participants (5 male, 5 female) (Age
range 42-59)
•
Chairs
Songs
•
Tears in Heaven- Soft Blues Music (Eric Clapton)
•
My Latin Brother- Jazz Music (Marty Ashby)
•
Cruise- Country Music (Florida-Georgia Line)
•
Sweet Caroline- Pop Music (Neil Diamond)
•
Crazy Train- Rock Music (Ozzy Osbourne)
Procedure
•
All of the participants sat down in a quiet area in my house (five males and female).
•
After ten minutes of quiet, the participants took their resting pulse beat for a minute.
•
The participants recorded their heart rate on a piece of paper provided.
•
Next, the first song was played for two minutes.
•
Right after the song ended, the participants took their pulse heart rate (beats per minute) for a
minute and recorded it.
•
They took their pulse beat again after five minutes to make sure it went back down to resting
pulse beat. At that time , the next selected song was played for two minutes.
•
This procedure was repeated for every song.
Music Effects on Male
Heart Rate
82
3.58E-07 0.00023
2.54E80 1.19E-08
3
05
Average 78
0.000622
Heart
76
Resting Pulse
Rates
Tears in Heaven
My Latin Brother
Sweet Caroline
Cruise
Crazy Train
74
72
70
68
66
64
Male 1
Male 2
Male 3
Test Subjects
Male 4
Male 5
Males
Dunnett’s Test Male
T crit- 3.62
Tears in Heaven My Latin
Brother
Sweet Caroline
Cruise
Crazy Train
Male 1
1.414214
1.944544
7.424621 (SIG)
4.419417 (SIG)
8.662058 (SIG)
Male 2
1.872764
-0.51075
3.405026
3.405026
7.491057 (SIG)
Male 3
1.264911
0.948683
4.427189 (SIG)
2.529822
4.743416 (SIG)
Male 4
1.872764
-0.51075
3.405026
3.405026
7.491057 (SIG)
Male 5
1.257079
0.471405
3.928371 (SIG)
3.142697
4.085506 (SIG)
Music Effects on
Female Heart Rate
90
0.000622
Average
Heart 80
Rates
0.001636
0.00245
85
6.93E06
2.56E-06
Resting Pulse
Tears in Heaven
My Latin Brother
Sweet Caroine
Cruise
Crazy Train
75
70
65
60
Female 1
Female 2
Female 3
Female 4
Test Subjects
Female 5
Dunnett’s Test Female
T crit- 3.62
Songs
Tears in Heaven My Latin
Brother
Sweet Caroline
Cruise
Crazy Train
Female 1
2.633708
3.292135
5.794157 (SIG)
5.399101 (SIG)
7.769437 (SIG)
Female 2
2.024243
1.445888
5.783553 (SIG)
5.494375 (SIG)
5.928141 (SIG)
Female 3
1.013606
0.202721
2.12
0.304082
4.155785 (SIG)
Female 4
1.555635
-0.28284
4.525483 (SIG)
2.828427
5.798276 (SIG)
Female 5
0.500652
-0.12516
2.002609
0.87142
4.255545 (SIG)
Male vs. Female Heart
rate change
10
0.08502
9
8
Average
Change
in
Heartbeat
0.5177
7
6
0.06028
5
4
3
2
Male
Female
0.011
0.9134
1
0
Tears in Heaven My Latin Brother
Sweet Caroline
Song Titles
Cruise
Crazy Train
Conclusions
•
Reject null hypothesis. Music seemed to have a
significant change on heart rate. Alternative
accepted.
•
Alternative hypothesis 2 not accepted. No
significant variation except with the music Tears in
Heaven.
•
It appears as though that the higher tempo songs
had a greater effect on the heart rate.
Limitations
•
Subjects may have not liked a given song, effecting
their response.
•
Heart rate was determined manually, might be
slightly inaccurate.
•
Subjects can very in fatigue, health, emotional state,
etc.
Extensions
Increase number of songs and population size.
Narrow the age groups.
Use heart rate device.
Place subjects in separate rooms.
Vary volume and length of music.
References
•
Roth, Erica. Relationship Between Music and Heart
Rate. Livestrong.com, n.d. Web.
•
William and Regina Bailey. Music Science Project.
Crystal-Clear-Science-Fair-Projects.com. 20052011. Web.
Anova:
Single Factor
Anova: Single
Factor
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
Between
Groups
Within
Groups
Total
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
Sum
349
357
360
391
374
398
Avera Varia
ge nce
69.8 3.7
71.4 2.8
72 2.5
78.2 2.2
74.8 5.7
79.6 2.3
PSS
df MS
F value F crit
24.21 1.19E 2.620
387.5
5 77.5 875 -08 654
76.8
24
464.3
29
3.2
Anova: Single
Factor
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
SUMMARY
Count Sum
5 360
5 368
5 366
5 388
5 376
5 390
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
SS
Between
149.8
Groups
667
Within Groups
96
Total
245.8
667
Avera Varian
ge
ce
72
2.5
73.6
1.3
73.2
3.2
77.6
4.3
75.2
5.2
78
7.5
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
ANOVA
PSource of
df
MS
F
value F crit
Variation
29.97 7.493 0.000 2.620 Between
5 333 333 233 654 Groups
24
4
Within Groups
29
Total
Male 1 Age
59
Male 3 Age 53
Male 2 Age 49
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
SS
291.06
67
82.8
373.86
67
Averag Varianc
Sum
e
e
360
72
2.5
371
74.2
2.2
357
71.4
1.3
380
76
2.5
380
76
6.5
404
80.8
5.7
df
MS
F
P-value F crit
58.213 16.873 3.58E- 2.6206
5
33
43
07
54
24
3.45
29
Anova: Single
Factor
Anova: Single
Factor
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
Between
Groups
Within
Groups
Total
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
Anova: Single Factor
Anova:
Single Factor
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
Avera Varia
Sum ge nce
355
71 2.5
366 73.2 3.7
360
72 2.5
379 75.8 5.7
371 74.2 5.2
395
79
5
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
ANOVA
PSource of
SS
df
MS
F value F crit
Variation
10.16 2.54E 2.620
208.4
5 41.68 585 -05 654 Between
Groups
Within Groups
98.4
24 4.1
306.8
29
Total
Count Sum
5 356
5 364
5 359
5 381
5 376
5 382
SS
130.6
667
97.2
227.8
667
Avera Varian
ge
ce
71.2
3.7
72.8
5.2
71.8
3.7
76.2
3.7
75.2
3.7
76.4
4.3
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
ANOVA
Source of
PVariation
df
MS
F
value F crit Between
26.13 6.452 0.000 2.620 Groups
5 333 675 622 654 Within
Groups
24 4.05
Total
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
SS
433.9
138.4
572.3
Avera Varia
Sum ge nce
362 72.4 4.3
382 76.4 4.3
387 77.4 4.3
406 81.2 3.7
403 80.6 4.3
421 84.2 13.7
Groups
Column 1
5
355
71
2.5
Column 2
5
369
73.8
1.7
Column 3
5
365
73
2.5
Column 4
5
395
79
5
Column 5
5
393
78.6
9.3
Column 6
5
396
79.2
7.7
ANOVA
PF value F crit Source of
15.04 0.000 2.620 Variation
5 86.78 855 622 654
Between
5.766
Groups
24 667
Within
Groups
29
df
MS
SS
df
MS
322.56
67
5
114.8
24
F
Pvalue F crit
64.513 13.487 2.56E- 2.6206
33
11
06
54
4.7833
33
29
Total
Male 4 Age
51
Male 5 Age 58
Avera Varian
Count Sum
ge
ce
Female 1
Age 47
437.36
67
29
Femal
e2
Age 58
Anova: Single
Factor
Anova: Single
Factor
Anova: Single Factor
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
Avera Varia
Sum ge nce
372 74.4 5.3
382 76.4 4.3
374 74.8 11.2
393 78.6 8.8
375
75 8.5
413 82.6 20.3
ANOVA
Source of
Variation
PSS
df MS
F value F crit
249.3
49.87 5.123 0.002 2.620
Between Groups 667
5 333 973 452 654
9.733
Within Groups 233.6
24 333
Total
Female 3 Age 56
482.9
667
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
Count
5
5
5
5
5
5
Averag Varianc
Sum
e
e
361 72.2
7.7
372 74.4
2.3
359 71.8
5.7
393 78.6
5.3
381 76.2
4.7
402 80.4
4.3
ANOVA
Source of Variation
SS
Between Groups
Within Groups
299.2
120
P-value F crit
6.93E- 2.6206
5 59.84 11.968
06
54
24
5
Total
419.2
29
df
MS
F
SUMMARY
Groups
Column 1
Column 2
Column 3
Column 4
Column 5
Column 6
5
5
5
5
5
5
ANOVA
Source of Variation
Between Groups
Within Groups
SS
175.6
153.2
Total
328.8
29
Female 4 Age 53
Count
Female 5 Age 42
Sum
Average Variance
381
76.2
5.7
385
77
5
380
76
4.5
397
79.4
7.3
388
77.6
4.3
415
83
11.5
df
MS
F
P-value
F crit
5
35.12 5.501828 0.001636 2.620654
24 6.383333
29