Music is a powerful means of influencing mood in daily life. As mood is important to optimum functioning and a sense of well-being, methods to automatically select music to direct mood towards a desired state would benefit many people. The affective music player (AMP) automatically selects songs that direct mood towards a target state set by the user. It does so by assuming that changes in mood relate to changes in physiological responses. This thesis aims to improve understanding of the relationship between music, mood, and physiological responses. This understanding was then used to find experimental evidence for the feasibility of an affective music player. The first three experimental chapters provide insights into the extent to which music influences mood and physiology. The next three chapters investigate the influence of music on mood and physiology while driving. Chapter eight, finally, presents an extensive user test of the affective music player. It shows that music can be selected to relatively steer skin conductance in a desired direction. These results therefore demonstrate the feasibility of the affective music player and provide a method which uses music to direct mood towards a desired state in everyday life. In Chapter nine we discussed how this knowledge supports assumptions underlying the affective music player. We also reflect on the theoretical implications and the methods used, present ideas for future research, and discuss the ethical implications. (Author/publisher)
Abstract