A Systematic Review of The Impact of Music on Attention, Mood And Driving Behavior
Keywords:
Systematic review, driving, behavior, music, attentionAbstract
The automobile is the primary mode of transport for most families, but automobile accidents remain the leading cause of death for children and young adults. The most common cause of automobile accidents is incorrect driver action and research aims to minimize the factors that contribute to this, specifically driver aggression and inattention. Music has been shown to have an impact on driving and may be a useful tool to help mitigate these behaviors that can increase the risk of automobile accidents. The aim of this study is to systematically review and summarize the current published literature on the impact of listening to music whilst driving on the driver’s behavior, mood and attention.
We conducted a systematic review of academic literature on EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus on the 12th of August 2024. We searched for articles relating to driving, music and behavior using key terms. No language or date restrictions were applied.
18 studies were included in the review. One was a systematic review, the remaining 17 were experimental studies. 89% of studies used a driving simulator to evaluate driving accuracy and safety. 95% of experimental studies included only participants who were under the age of 30.
Overall, music tempo had a negative impact on driver behavior, with participants listening to high tempo music experiencing more arousal, resulting in them driving faster and more prone to distraction. The presence of music which was low or neutral tempo had a positive impact on drivers’ ability to focus. Genre of music and the comparison of instrumental versus lyrics was understudied. We recommend that drivers who choose to listen to music avoid high tempo choices as these may increase arousal and risk of automobile accidents.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Saiesha Moparthi, Emily Beswick
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