Investigation of Various Manipulated Music Tempo for Reducing Negative Emotion Using Beta EEG Index

Frontal activities are represented emotional responses which are both negative and positive emotions based on electroencephalogram (EEG) index. The manipulation of music tempo is a reliable tool for increase of positive emotion which is represented as EEG alpha asymmetry. However, effects of reduced negative emotion are controversial. The aim of this study is to investigate relationship between the effects of three music tempi (slow, normal, fast) with major mode and beta EEG index response for reduction of negative emotion. Stroop color-word test was chosen for stress induction. Twenty-one participants with right-handed were grouped by randomly assigned music tempo (N = 7 in each group) and their brain activity was recorded. The results show that beta activity was increased at the right frontal region in Stroop color-word test . During listening on each music tempo, the brain activities showed significantly decrease in beta activity comparing to Stroop color-word test . Also, the normal music tempo is the most effective for decrease of beta activity at right frontal region comparing to the others. This finding supports that music is one of the resources for reduction of negative emotion.