For most people, listening to their favourite music is part of driving culture. Music can positively create a mood that makes driving an enjoyable act.
Previous studies have proved that respiration rate was lower during music listening compared to rides without music, while no effects of music were found on heart rate.
A new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers resulted in a nearly unanimous response: driving is "absolutely impossible" without music. 140 young adults responded to the study, published in Psychomusicology: Music, Mind and Brain.
"To young drivers 18-29, music in the car isn't just entertainment, it's part of their autosphere whether they're alone or not," says Prof. Warren Brodsky, director of the BGU Music Science Lab in the Department of the Arts.
"They are so used to constant stimulation and absorbing great amounts of information throughout the day, that they don't question how the type of tunes they play might affect concentration, induce aggressive behavior, or cause them to miscalculate risky situations."
"As the fastest growing research university in Israel, BGU provides studies that give us great insight into the causes and effects of human behaviour," says Doug Seserman, chief executive officer, American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
"Music is an essential, universal language which we can all appreciate. Undoubtedly, though, the concerns that stem from the results of this study are worth considering."
