The Analgesic Potential of Music for Pain

The importance of personal choice in music listening interventions for pain management has been replicated across several high-quality studies and meta-analyses (Bradt et al., 2015; Basiński, et al., 2021; Lee, 2016; Tsai, et al., 2014). More recently, the role of perceived choice has been shown to increase pain tolerance in an experimental setting using the cold pressor task as a proxy for pain (Howlin & Rooney, 2021). The main aim of this study is to test the extent to which the finding that perceived control of music increases pain tolerance extends beyond a lab setting. This study will also explore whether there are additional analgesic benefits from music that is specifically designed and composed to relieve pain at a population level. In line with models of empirical aesthetics, music complexity will be examined as a mediator of analgesic benefits, due to enhanced engagement mediated by optimal complexity. Finally, this study will examine the role of individual attributes, namely musicality, empathy, and age, in mediating the analgesic benefits for pain.