Interactive effects of task load and music tempo on psychological, psychophysiological, and behavioural outcomes during simulated driving

Abstract

We examined the interactive effects of task load and music tempo on cognition, affect, cardiac response, and safety-relevant behaviour during simulated driving. Using a counterbalanced, within-subjects design, participants (N = 46) were exposed to fast-, slow-, and no-music conditions at high and low loads in a high-grade simulator. Task load had the most salient effect across a broad swath of variables. For core affect, the Load × Music Condition interaction showed that, under high load, affective arousal scores were higher in the fast-tempo condition vs. slow. A main effect of tempo emerged for the HRV index of SDNN, with fast-tempo music eliciting lower scores than both slow- and no-music conditions. Behavioural data showed a main effect of tempo for risk ratings, with fast-tempo music eliciting the highest scores for a traffic-light trigger. Our findings indicate that drivers in high-load, urban environments should exercise caution in their use of fast-tempo music.

Practitioner summary: We examined the interactive effects of task load and music tempo in simulated driving (urban and highway). Cognition, mood, cardiac response, and driving behaviour were assessed. Participants exhibited more risky behaviours in response to fast-tempo music. Drivers should exercise caution in their use of up-tempo music in urban settings.

Keywords:

• Affect
• cognitive load
• distraction
• personality
• road safety

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available on Figshare at https://figshare.com/s/eeaee0f0decf48d90ce6.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by a UKRI Economic and Social Research Council grant awarded to the first and last authors (ES/R005559/1). The study was also supported by a research grant from the Direct Line Group (UK).