The Effect Of Music On The Performance Of Music

R.I.M. Dunbar and his team of researchers from the University of Liverpool and Binghamton University aimed to look at research in evolutionary psychology based on the historical presence of music as a facilitator for community and relationship building in small scale societies. Based on past research, the researchers knew that music creates a release of endorphins upon listening, playing, or singing. They aimed to isolate the most effective causal activity for this release of endorphins, listening to music or actively performing music. The researchers hypothesized that the active performance of music more effectively contributes to endorphin release and eventual euphoric, positive, and companionable feelings. They conducted four experiments to explore this question, of which I will only summarize the second experiment. The second experiment explored the act of singing, generalized to the overall performance of music, and how it varies the endorphin release as opposed to simply listening to music.

Each experiment used the same procedure in that each participant took a pain threshold test, followed by a musical activity, and then received the same pain threshold test. In the second experiment, before and after the musical or non-musical activities, each participant took a questionnaire to analyze positive and negative affect, followed by the researchers administering the pain threshold test in the form of pressure on the participant’s non-dominant arm. The subjects were asked to notify the researchers when they experienced pain and the researchers recorded the elapsed time. Experiment 2 contained an experimental group of samba drummer students, one control group who only listened to ambient, background music in their work place, an...

... middle of paper ...

...ccessful group cooperation and compliance in real-world situations. Lastly, this is not necessarily a limitation; however, gathering these results for people who are not musically trained could add to the real-world relevance of this study. The people in the experimental group had received training in drumming which means that they most likely enjoyed the activity in which they were participating. Analyzing the pain thresholds and feelings of people playing drums or singing who have received no prior training could be instrumental for research in music therapy techniques. The results of this study could also be helpful in research completed with social groups and communities of humans. Based on this research, music can be utilized to decrease tensions and create positive attitudes and behaviors that could solve conflicts within relationship and community structures.