College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science in Experimental Psychology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Nicolette Rickert

Committee Member 1

Lawrence Locker

Committee Member 2

Cassandra Baldwin

Abstract

Literature has supported potential benefits to cognitive reappraisal as a method of emotion regulation, as well as intentional music usage as an enhancer of these effects. It has been suggested that instruction be provided to individuals to use these methods, especially in highly stressed populations (Sakka et al., 2018). However, there has not been an experimental study to follow up on these claims. When instruction is provided, is cognitive reappraisal more effective than naturally developed habits in regulating anxiety, and would music enhance these effects? College students (N = 170) were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: control, cognitive reappraisal, or cognitive reappraisal plus music. Anxiety was evoked in participants and they recorded their emotional response before and after the treatment condition. In the control condition, participants were asked to simply manage their anxious feelings however they saw fit. In the reappraisal condition, participants were provided instruction to cognitively reappraise and reassess the situation in order to manage their anxious feelings. In the third treatment, the reappraisal instruction included the additional instruction to listen to a song which they believed would help manage these feelings. Participants also reported their typical emotion regulation technique and if they perceived any potential difficulty in regulating their emotions. ANCOVA analysis results revealed no statistically significant difference between treatment groups and anxiety difference scores. No statistically significant covariate relation was found with emotion regulation tendencies or self-reported difficulty with emotion regulation. Potential implications as well as directions for future research are discussed.

OCLC Number

1588655180

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

Download

Share

COinS