Many vehicle journeys are performed to the accompaniment of music, but there has been little research conducted on its effects on subjective state and objective performance. Brown (1965) reported that music reduced pedal use in light traffic, and reduced speed in heavy traffic, effects seen as beneficial. However, the `ballroom dancing type' music used may not be representative of the contemporary driver's tastes. Drivers often listen to rock music, sometimes at high intensity. Broadly, such music may be either stimulating, tending to improve performance, or distracting. In this paper, the authors report a simulator study of the effects of loud rock music on subjective stress and objective performance during drives of differing levels of task-induced stress. They also tested for correlations between individual differences in subjective stress and coping and performance. (A)
Abstract