Aubrey Miller
Class of 2025Granite Bay, California
About
Hello! I’m Aubrey and my Polygence project is on how music (and the individual aspects of music like tempo and volume) impacts stress and overall well-being. As a level 10 pianist, I have been surrounded by music since I was little. I am very interested in music and also psychology, so this project is able to tie together both of these subjects. I hope to have a research paper published after completing this project.Projects
- "Investigating the Effects of Lyrical and Instrumental Music on Reducing Stress" with mentor Sarah (Mar. 11, 2024)
Aubrey's Symposium Presentation
Project Portfolio
Investigating the Effects of Lyrical and Instrumental Music on Reducing Stress
Started July 7, 2023
Abstract or project description
This project is a research paper based on original research regarding music and stress. The purpose of this study was to determine how the choice of instrumental versus lyrical music impacts stress levels. I hoped to determine whether or not either type is more effective in reducing stress. My study used three stress indicators (heart rate, blood pressure, and a visual analog scale survey) to measure the change in physical and mental stress in participants. I used a within-subject design. Due to the nature of this project, those with hearing difficulties and severe heart abnormalities did not mean inclusion criteria and were excluded from this study. These stress indicators will be measured before and after listening to both instrumental and lyrical music. I required each participant to listen to ten minutes of both types of music, while collecting data on the aforementioned stress indicators. My final conclusion was that although there is no significant difference between the abilities of instrumental and lyrical music to reduce physiological stress, instrumental music was significantly better at reducing psychological stress.