Date of Award

5-2024

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Social Work

Department

School of Social Work

First Reader/Committee Chair

Li, Yawen

Abstract

Stress is often identified as a “silent killer” and the negative impact on one’s mental and physical well-being is greatly impacted without intervention. This study sought to determine which form of coping, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) or music, is an effective strategy for reducing stress. The study was conceptualized using the positivist paradigm of research. An electronic survey was dispersed to participants via the website SurveyMonkey. Descriptive data was collected using demographic information gathered during the first portion of the survey. Participants’ self-identified stress levels were gathered before and after they viewed their randomly assigned coping strategy (ASMR or music) during the survey. Data was analyzed using a two-paired t-test via SPSS. The results show that music led to feelings of relaxation and comfort. Similarly, nervousness and anxiety significantly reduced for those assigned to the music group. For the ASMR group, calmness decreased but not significantly. Small non-significant decreases occurred in other emotions. Between groups, music increased positive relaxation while ASMR decreased nervousness and anxiety. Emotion improvements predicted enjoying music more than ASMR. Further research is needed with a larger and age-diverse sample.

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