This study aims to examine whether music-based relaxation combined with different types of verbal guidance can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being in young adults. University students often experience high levels of stress related to academic demands and daily life. Music listening is commonly used as a simple and safe method to promote relaxation. In addition to music itself, verbal guidance during music listening may influence how individuals imagine, interpret, and emotionally respond to the music experience. In this study, participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group listens to music accompanied by verbal guidance generated by a large language model and designed to reflect Eastern aesthetic imagery. A second group listens to music with standard relaxation guidance commonly used in music therapy. A third group listens to relaxing music without any verbal guidance. Each participant takes part in a single music listening session lasting approximately 25-30 minutes. Levels of anxiety, positive and negative emotions, and heart rate are measured before and after the music session. By comparing the results across the three groups, this study seeks to better understand whether culturally adapted verbal guidance can enhance the effects of music-based relaxation for young adults.
This study is a single-center, randomized controlled trial designed to investigate the effects of music-based interventions with different types of verbal guidance on anxiety and emotional regulation in young adults. Eligible university students are recruited and randomly assigned in equal numbers to one of three parallel groups: (1) a music intervention with verbal guidance generated by a large language model and designed to evoke Eastern aesthetic imagery; (2) a standard music therapy condition that includes conventional relaxation-oriented verbal suggestions; and (3) a music-only relaxation condition without verbal guidance. Randomization is conducted using a simple random allocation procedure. All participants complete baseline assessments prior to the intervention. Each participant then takes part in a single music listening session lasting approximately 25-30 minutes in a quiet classroom setting. During the session, participants are seated comfortably with eyes closed and instructed to listen attentively to the music. Verbal guidance, when present, is delivered by a researcher during the music session. Primary and secondary outcomes are assessed immediately before and after the intervention. Anxiety is measured using a standardized self-report anxiety scale. Emotional states are assessed using validated measures of positive and negative affect. Heart rate is recorded as an objective physiological indicator of autonomic arousal using a smartphone-based photoplethysmography method. This study aims to provide empirical evidence on whether culturally adapted verbal guidance, generated by artificial intelligence, can enhance the psychological and physiological effects of music-based relaxation in young adults.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
123
Participants listen to a curated music program accompanied by verbal guidance generated by a large language model. The verbal guidance is designed to evoke Eastern aesthetic imagery and is delivered by a researcher during a single 25-30 minute music listening session in a quiet setting.
Participants listen to music accompanied by standard relaxation-oriented verbal guidance commonly used in music therapy practice. The guidance is delivered during a single 25-30 minute music listening session in a quiet setting.
Participants listen to relaxing music without any verbal guidance during a single 25-30 minute session in a quiet setting.
Aba Teachers College
Aba, Sichuan, China
Change in State Anxiety Score
State anxiety is assessed using the State subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), a validated self-report questionnaire consisting of 20 items. Scores range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater state anxiety. The primary outcome is the change in STAI-S score from before to immediately after the intervention.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the single 25-30 minute music listening session
Change in Positive Affect Score
Positive affect is measured using the Positive Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The subscale consists of 10 items assessing positive emotional states, with higher scores indicating greater positive affect. The outcome is defined as the change in positive affect score from before to immediately after the intervention.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the single 25-30 minute music listening session
Change in Negative Affect Score
Negative affect is measured using the Negative Affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The subscale consists of 10 items assessing negative emotional states, with higher scores indicating greater negative affect. The outcome is defined as the change in negative affect score from before to immediately after the intervention.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the single 25-30 minute music listening session
Change in Heart Rate
Heart rate is recorded as an objective physiological indicator of autonomic arousal using a smartphone-based photoplethysmography method. The outcome is defined as the change in mean heart rate measured immediately before and immediately after the intervention.
Time frame: Immediately before and immediately after the single 25-30 minute music listening session
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