The Effects of Music on 6th Grade Boys' Blood Pressure
 
 

Researched by Ashley D. 1998-99

PURPOSE  HYPOTHESIS  EXPERIMENT DESIGN  MATERIALS  PROCEDURES  RESULTS  CONCLUSION  RESEARCH REPORT  BIBLIOGRAPHY

                                                    PURPOSE

The purpose of this experiment was to determine how two different tempos of music would effect 6th grade boys' blood pressure.  I became interested in this idea when my older brother started listening to fast tempo music at bedtime.  Then my younger brother began listening to slow classical music at bedtime.  I began to wonder which boys' blood pressure is lower because this might help him go to sleep.  The information gained from this experiment will tell parents what to have their school age children listen to at bedtime.

My hypothesis is that the fast tempo music will raise a boyís blood pressure. I think the slow tempo music will lower their blood pressure.

I base my hypothesis on my observations that people are affected by the tempo of music. Bouncy music has a tendency to make people more active, and soft has a tendency to calm people.

                                EXPERIMENT DESIGN

The constants in this study were:

• The amount of time music is played
• Gender of subjects
• Approximate age of subjects
• Type of music and exact selections
• Method of taking blood pressure including the blood pressure taking tool
• Subjects resting in chair before and measurements
• Blood pressure taken before music played
• Blood pressure taken while music is still going

The manipulated variable was the tempo of the music.  The first time their blood pressure was taken they had been listening to no music.  The second time they had been listening to slow tempo music and the last time they were listening to the fast tempo music.

The responding variable was how much their blood pressure changed, both systolic and diastolic.

To measure the responding variable I took each boys' blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer immediately during the third minute the music was being played.  A nurse double-checked my use of the sphygmomanometer for accurate readings.

                                                MATERIALS
 

QUANTITY	ITEM DESCRIPTION
2	stop watches
1	tape recorder
1	nurse
1	sphygmomanometer with adult medium cuff
8	6th grade boys
1	tape of fast tempo classical music
1	tape of slow tempo classical music
3	chair

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

1. Enlist help of a nurse with a R.N. degree to double-check my technique and accuracy when measuring the boyís blood pressure. Recruit 8 boys who are in the 6th grade.
2. Give each boy a parent permission slip made for this purpose.
3. Be sure the permission slip is returned and filled out properly before including subject in this.
4. Have all subjects' rest by sitting quietly in a chair for 5 minutes.
5. Take the boyís blood pressure before playing any music and record on data sheet.
6. Play a slow tempo song for 4 minutes at volume level 5.
7. Immediately after 3 minutes have the nurse take the boyís blood pressure and record on data sheet.
8. Repeat steps 4,6,7 again so you can test with fast tempo.
9. Repeat steps 5-9 with the remaining students.

                                                                        RESULTS

The original purpose of this experiment was to determine how three different tempos of music would effect 6th grade boyís blood pressure.  I became interested in this idea when my older brother started listening to fast tempo classical music at bedtime.  Then my younger brother began listening to slow classical music at bedtime.  I began to wonder which boyís blood pressure is lower because this might help him go to sleep.  The information gained from this experiment will tell parents what to have their school age children listen to at bedtime.

The results of the experiment were that the slow tempo music blood pressure lowered and the fast tempo music systolic higher but diastolic lowered.

                                                   CONCLUSION

My hypothesis was that the fast tempo music would raise a boyís blood pressure. I also thought the slow tempo music would lower their blood pressure.

The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected because on the fast tempo music the diastolic pressure lowered and the systolic went higher.

Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if it would be the same results if I conducted the experiment on girls.

If I were to conduct this project again I would probably test more subjects so I was able to get more information.  I also would have used more softer music and bouncier music.  I also would have played the music for a longer time to make sure it was affective.  I would also have done half of the subjects on slow tempo then fast and the other half on fast then slow tempo.

RESEARCH REPORT   INTRODUCTION Blood pressure is the pressure of blood pushing against the artery walls.   TYPES OF PRESSURE Systolic pressure is the pressure while the heart is pushing blood as the ventricle contracts.  Diastolic pressure is the amount of pressure while the heart is resting while the heart is resting.  The systolic pressure is written above the diastolic pressure: 80/45   AGE GROUPS An infantís blood pressure is about 80/45.  A 30-year-old's blood pressure is about 120/80.  A 40 year olds blood pressure is 140/85.  As you get older your blood pressure usually gets higher. BLOOD The adult heart pumps three quarts per minute when resting and 24 quarts when you are exercising.  Your oxygenated blood travels through arteries while your non-oxygenated blood travels through veins.  Your blood has a substance called hemogoblin, which helps relax your blood vessel walls. The blood travels through veins and arteries to supply blood to every part of the body.   HEMOGLOBIN Hemoglobin is the substance, which makes the blood red.  The hemoglobin carries nitric oxide, which makes sure the blood vessel walls do not expand.  It does this by regulating the amount of nitric oxide the vessel walls are exposed to. Hemoglobin is the substance, which turns the blood red.  The hemoglobin carries a substance, which makes sure the vessel walls do not expand.  With out this substance the vessel walls will expand to an unhealthy level.  The hemoglobin also makes sure that the vessels are only exposed to a certain amount of nitric oxide or the vessel walls may not be healthy.   BLOOD PRESSURE MEASURING TOOL The pressure is taken with a tool called a sphygmomanometer which has a gage connected it. The cuff is wrapped around the upper arm as the little round ball is squeezed to apply pressure.  Then a stethoscope is used to listen to the artery.  They listen for the sound of your blood hitting the artery walls.  The cuff itself squeezes to cut of your circulation.  When you here thumps you look at the meter (which snaps on to the cuff) so that you can see what the arrow is pointing at during the different thumps. HEART In the circulatory system the heart is the most important.  The heart pumps out the oxygenated blood through arteries.  The veins carry the un-oxygenated blood back to the heart.  The heart is split in half with half pumping non-oxygenated blood to the lungs and half-pumping oxygenated blood to the brain and body. The heart pumps 27 quarts a minute in an adult body.  The blood travels through arteries and vessels to supply blood to every part if the body.  If the blood supply is cut of then the area cut of will start turning different colors.  The blood carries oxygen to the different cells of the body and without the oxygen the cell dies.  That is why the skin turns a different color. MUSIC Music is a group of sounds put together to form a song.  The sounds express a person, feelings, behavior, beliefs, life or experience.  Music has been around for many years.  It has been used for many generations for musical entertainment or religion.  In the olden days music was played for royalty but now it is used for all people.  Music can affect people's moods and behaviors. Music can affect a person's mood or felling.   SUMMARY The systolic and the diastolic pressure are both ways of measuring blood pressure accuracy.  The systolic pressure is written on top of the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure readings vary for as you get older your blood pressure gets higher.  Blood pressure is always changing as your activity level and emotions change. The heart pumps 27 quarts a minute in the adult body.  The blood travels through veins and arteries to supply blood to every part of the body.  Music can affect a person's mood or felling.

                                                BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ardley, Neil, MUSIC, New York, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.1989

ìBlood pressureî Encartaí98 USA Microsoft Inc.1998

Carter, Joseph L., Life Science: A Problem Solving Approach, Boston, Massachusetts, Ginnand Company, 1971

Simon, Seymour, The Heart Our Circulatory System, New York, Morrow Junior Books, 1996

Zim, Herbert S, Your Heart and How it Works, William Morrow and Company, 1959

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