Where mind and music meet : affect self-regulation through music

Abstract

The present dissertation focused on musical affect regulation, i.e. on the use of music to self-regulate affective states such as emotions, moods, and energy levels. In publication I, relevant findings from previous research were extracted and the field’s conceptual clarity and precision was assessed. Besides identifying weaknesses in conceptualization and providing recommendations for future studies, publication I found that not all the elements of affect regulation through music have been equally explored by research. Given the gap observed on the study of musical mechanisms underlying affect regulation, publication II placed a special focus on this component and its association with regulation strategies. Publication II unveiled associations between musical mechanisms and regulation strategies in several layers. Drawing from the findings in publications I and II, a conceptual model of affect regulation through music was presented in publication III. According to this model, musical activities, regulation strategies, and musical mechanisms are selected in function of the affective goal and, in deep interaction, determine the affective outcomes and wellbeing. This is a continuous process and takes place in a matrix of individual and contextual factors. To further investigate how the affective outcomes are influenced by regulation strategies and music, an experimental study was conducted. Publication IV demonstrated that the reduction of stress was influenced by the level of efficacy of the music listened to and of the strategy employed. Moreover, it was concluded that the music listened to was more determinant for the decrease of stress than the strategy instructed in the experiment. The findings of this dissertation are relevant for research on both general affect regulation and musical regulation. This dissertation has implications for future studies on everyday uses of music and on the health outcomes of affect-related music behaviour.