Week 9: Graphs Galore!
April 28, 2026
From there, I moved into creating graphs to visualize how these patterns changed over time. I mostly used line graphs, as they made it simple to track things like heart rate and breathing rate throughout each trial. What stood out quickly was the difference in linear slope between the two conditions. In the music trials, the data felt much smoother and more structured, with participants’ physiological responses gradually aligning over time. In contrast, the no-audio trials looked more random, with spontaneous fluctuations and less consistency between subjects. Seeing that difference visually made the trend much more evident than just looking at raw numbers.
I also started creating summary visuals like averages and ranges to get a better overall sense of what was happening in each condition. This helped me step back and look at the bigger picture instead of just focusing on moment-to-moment changes. These visuals are especially helpful for when I eventually present my findings, since they make the data a lot easier to understand at a glance.
This part of the project solidified how important data organization really is. The way you structure and present your data can completely change how it’s interpreted. Moving forward, I will keep refining these graphs and plan to start doing more detailed statistical comparisons to further measure the differences I’m seeing. This should help me create a more definite conclusion to whether music is actively causing these synchronized physiological responses and reductions in stress, or if it’s just enhancing effects that would happen naturally over time.
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Hey Eesha! How will you choose sounds that are calming for most people if everyone responds to music and noise differently?
Hello! Since everyone responds to music differently, I chose sounds based on research-backed qualities that are commonly associated with relaxation. A lot of songs were chosen due to their rhythmic qualities (tempo, rhythm, etc) being close to what was observed to induce relaxation in previous research studies!
Hi Eesha
Does the effect wear off over time? If someone listens to the same sound every day or month, doestheir heart rate stop responding to it?
Hello! This is definitely possible as people can become habituated to repeated sounds, meaning the body may respond less strongly after hearing the same music consistently for long periods. Calming sounds may still help maintain relaxation, as the body remembers the impact of the sound even if is continually repeated. However, we might see physiological markers displaying smaller changes over time.
Do you think the type of music (like classical vs. lo-fi or white noise) would produce different results, or is it more about the presence of sound in general?
I think the type of music definitely matters because different sounds have different tempos, rhythms, and emotional effects on the brain and nervous system. For example, slower instrumental music or white noise may promote relaxation more effectively than fast-paced or lyrically intense music, which can instead increase energy and excitement. Because of this, different genres likely produce different physiological responses rather than the body simply reacting to the presence of sound alone!