The effects of selected classical music on writing and talking about significant life events

This study used a 2 x factorial design to explore the effects of selected classical music on post-disclosure mood, the language used during the disclosure of significant life events, disclosure experience, and disclosure environment. Eighty-five undergraduate subjects were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: a writing with background music condition, a talking with background music condition, a writing without background music condition, or a talking without background music condition. For the disclosure portion, all subjects were asked to describe significant event(s) or experience(s), with an emphasis on relating their deepest thoughts and feelings. Further, they were asked to choose events or experiences that they had not previously disclosed. Results indicate that background music had an effect on the disclosure topics chosen, promoted cognitive suggestion and expression, and increased the enjoyment of listening to classical music. Specifically for writers, background music was associated with an increased expression of negative emotion, whereas for talkers, background music was associated with a decreased expression of negative emotion. Further, writers felt that disclosing with or without background music supported the disclosure process whereas talkers felt that disclosing with or without background music interfered with and distracted from the disclosure process. Implications for music therapy clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed