Pain Attenuating Effects of Preferred Versus Non-preferred Music Interventions

Abstract

This study investigated effects of preferred and non-preferred music in alleviating cold-pressor pain. Pre-(i.e. baseline measurement) and posttest ice-water hand immersions were experienced by 80 participants. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Group I listened to their preferred music, group II was exposed to non-preferred music, group III received no music intervention in the presence of an experimenter (control I), and group IV experienced an absence of music intervention in the absence of an experimenter (control II). Univariate repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) and planned comparisons indicated that preferred music was effective in increasing pain tolerance. Non-preferred music and controls did not show an increased pain tolerance. Further, the absence of the experimenter heightened participants' experienced pain. Other groups (group I, II and III) did not experience significant changes in their subjective reports of pain from preto posttests.