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The Effect of Iso-Principal Based Music Playlists on Anxiety

The Effect of Iso-Principal Based Music Playlists on Anxiety

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05442099
Enrollment
100
Registered
2022-07-01
Start date
2022-08-15
Completion date
2022-08-15
Last updated
2022-07-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anxiety State

Brief summary

Chronic anxiety is a growing psychological challenge worldwide and at pre-clinical levels, can be disabling. Some research suggests music may reduce anxiety symptoms as effectively as anti-anxiety drugs without the adverse side effects. The iso principle suggests that the effectiveness of music interventions for mood management can be maximized by commencing a session with music that matches an individual's current emotional state and then gradually moving toward their desired emotional state. Our previous work demonstrated that a playlist generated by a music recommendation system that uses the iso-principal, along with music informatics, auditory beat stimulation, and reinforcement learning can reduce somatic and cognitive anxiety. However, it is unknown whether music playlists based on the iso-principal alone can reduce anxiety. In this study, the investigators wish to examine whether music playlists (\ 30 min long) based on the iso-principal (neutral to calm) will reduce anxiety after anxiety induction compared to a calm music playlist. The investigators hypothesize that the iso-principal playlist will have greater state anxiety reduction compared to the calm playlist.

Detailed description

Chronic anxiety is a growing psychological challenge worldwide and at pre-clinical levels, can be disabling. Some research suggests music may reduce anxiety symptoms as effectively as anti-anxiety drugs without the adverse side effects. The iso principle suggests that the effectiveness of music interventions for mood management can be maximized by commencing a session with music that matches an individual's current emotional state and then gradually moving toward their desired emotional state. Our previous work demonstrated that a playlist generated by a music recommendation system that uses the iso-principal, along with music informatics, auditory beat stimulation, and reinforcement learning can reduce somatic and cognitive anxiety. However, it is unknown whether music playlists based on the iso-principal alone can reduce anxiety. In this study, the investigators wish to examine whether music playlists (\ 30 min long) based on the iso-principal (neutral to calm) will reduce anxiety after anxiety induction compared to a calm music playlist. The investigators hypothesize that the iso-principal playlist will have greater state anxiety reduction compared to the reverse-iso and calm playlists. Participants (n = 100) will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups 1) Iso principal playlist, 2) Calm playlist. Prior to their treatment, all participants will undergo anxiety induction (recall an anxiety-provoking event, while listening to anxiety-inducing music). State anxiety (STICSA), positive and negative affect (PANAS), arousal, and valence (SAM) will be measured pre-post anxiety induction and after treatment. This work will be the first of its kind to examine whether a playlist based on the iso-principal is effective at reducing anxiety.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALIso-principle music playlist

Participants listen to the iso-principle music playlist for 30 minutes.

BEHAVIORALGeneric calm music playlist

Participants listen to the calm music playlist for 30 minutes.

Sponsors

Toronto Metropolitan University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 38 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Participants who have no hearing impairments * Participants who have no cardiac issues. * Participants who have no history of seizures and epilepsy.

Exclusion criteria

* Participants who have hearing impairments * Participants who have cardiac issues. * Participants who have a history of seizures and epilepsy.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Anxiety: State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)30 minutesThe STICSA has good reliability and validity as a measure of state and trait cognitive and somatic anxiety (Bados et al. 2010, Gros et al. 2007). The minimum score is 10 and the maximum is 40. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety (worse outcome). But in this study the post-intervention anxiety score is subtracted from the pre-intervention anxiety score, giving a measure of anxiety reduction. In the case of this anxiety reduction measure, higher anxiety reduction scores would indicate a better outcome.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Mood: Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS)30 minutesThe PANAS has good reliability and validity and has been widely used in many studies to assess mood (Gray, 2007; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). This scale generates two scores: 1) Positive affect (higher score indicates a better outcome), scores range from 10-50. 2) Negative affect (higher score indicates worse outcome), scores range from 10-50.

Contacts

Primary ContactAdiel Mallik, PhD
adiel.mallik@ryerson.ca416-979-5000

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026