Evaluation of EEG Responses to Sedative and Stimulative Music Using the MUSE 2

The purpose of this study was to examine participants' emotional and neurological responses when listening to stimulative and sedative music through electroencephalography (EEG) using the MUSE 2 headset. Brain waves were monitored using the MUSE 2 headset while participants listened to 7 musical excerpts (3 stimulative, 3 sedative, and 1 control). Data from these recordings were analyzed using the MATLAB EEGLAB toolbox. Following each musical selection, participants also provided self-reported mood assessment using a 5-point Likert-scale between pairs of bipolar adjectives (i.e., happy/sad, restless/calm, joyous/gloomy, whimsical/serious, vigorous/quiet, majestic/soothing, playful/dignified, and exhilarated/dreamy). Data analysis was aimed at identifying brain wave activity patterns associated with each category of music as well as assessing correlations between brain wave activity and self-reported mood ratings. Given the constraints of participant recruitment and data collection due to COVID-19, preliminary results from this pilot study will be presented. Additional discussion will include study modifications and limitations resulting from the need to incorporate COVID-19 precautions for all portions of the study. Perspectives on conducting collaborative student-faculty research using human subjects during a global pandemic will be addressed, along with suggestions for future research given the constraints of COVID-19.