MOOD INDUCTION PROCEDURE - IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUALIZING MUSIC

Studies examining the musical mood induction procedure (MMIP) currentl y typically involve the experimenter preselecting a piece of music for use with all subjects. This assumes that the same piece of music will be equally effective at eliciting low mood for all subjects. The vali dity of this assumption was evaluated among 12 bulimic and 12 control women. Subjects listened to seven preselected pieces of music and rate d them according to how likely it would be that the piece of music wou ld help them to lower their mood ! feel sad. Analysis showed that subj ects were highly individual in their responses, and that it could not be assumed that the same piece of music would be equally effective at eliciting low mood across subjects.