MUZAK REDUCES STRESS AND FIGHTS COMMON COLD
Muzak may be capable of reducing stress in a "high stress" work environment and help reduce the risk of the common cold at the same time.
That's the implication of a new study, "The Influence of Muzak on Stress and Immune System Function in a Newspaper Newsroom," by Carl J. Charnetski, professor of psychology, and Francis X. Brennan, Jr., assistant professor of psychology, at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
The psychology professors co-authored the study with James F. Harrison, senior vice- president of marketing and sales at Muzak Ltd. in Seattle, WA. Their paper has been accepted for presentation at annual meeting of The International Congress of Applied Psychology which takes place in San Francisco during August 1998.
Ten writers at the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader's newsroom were monitored for stress and immunologic changes over a 90-minute period. Stress was measured on a 10-point self-report inventory where a score of one was "very relaxed" and 10 was "very stressed." Immunologic change was measured via concentrations of Immunoglobulin A (IgA).
In the study, subjective reports of stress and saliva samples for the IgA analysis were collected at the beginning of the experiment and every 30 minutes thereafter for a total of four samples. The first 30 minutes constituted a baseline period where no experimental manipulation was engaged, stress and IgA levels were simply monitored. The second 30-minute period involved a taped presentation of music produced by Muzak entitled "Environmental Music." The third 30-minute period was again a period without experimental manipulation where stress and IgA levels were monitored to measure any post treatment changes.
Results of the subjective stress ratings indicated no change during the 30-minute baseline period, a substantial reduction of stress during the 30-minute music presentation and a partial maintenance of this reduction through the post-treatment period, says Charnetski.
"The IgA analysis results revealed an increase during the music and post treatment phases. Although this increase did not reach statistical significance, as stress was reduced, IgA levels increased," explained Charnetski.
While the rationale for measuring stress might be intuitively obvious, the rationale for measuring IgA was two fold. IgA is an antibody produced by B lymphocytes. Measuring IgA provides some information as to general immune system functions. Secondly, IgA is found in all muscosa and provides a first line of defense against upper respiratory infection, says Brennan.
"This was not an environment where we could exact control over individuals, consequently there was considerable variability in individual circumstances over time," says Charnetski. "Nevertheless, the music appeared to influence stress and immunologic function despite these conditions."
The study replicates and extends results that the researchers have generated regarding music and IgA in a much more controlled setting in their laboratory.
Editors: Feel free to contact Dr. Charnetski at 717-831-4564 (office) and Dr. Brennan is at 717-831-4566 (office). Please contact Steve Infanti of Dick Jones Communications at 814- 867-1963 if you want a copy of this paper. We help Wilkes University with its public affairs work.
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