Structured Vocalisation as a Module of Affective Regulation: The Impact of Choral Participation on Anxiety, Frustration and Stress Resilience in Non-Musician Students

Abstract

Academic stress, an endemic phenomenon in higher education, presents a multifaceted challenge, manifesting as cognitive overload, affective dysregulation and physiological destabilisation. It leads to recurrent feedback loops that reinforce anxiety and frustration, intensifying maladaptive stress responses. This study examines the extent to which ‘structured vocalisation’ (which integrates rhythmic motor, respiratory and affective synchronisation) functions as an external modulator of ‘emotional stability,’ specifically in alleviating academic frustration and anxiety among non-musician students (a poorly studied population in music psychology). A two-stage longitudinal design was implemented: 100 participants (mean age = 18.1 ± 0.5 years) were assigned to experimental and control groups. Affective measures (Spielberger Anxiety Scale, Taylor Anxiety Scale, Wasserman Frustration Index) and physiological markers (salivary cortisol) were assessed before and after the intervention (choral training over the course of one academic year). Psychometric shifts were analysed using parametric and non-parametric statistical models (Student's t-tests, Mann–Whitney U-tests, Pearson r-matrices), ensuring reliable inferential validity. The ‘Frustration Index’ significantly decreased from M = 31.8 (SD = 4.2) to M = 26.5 (SD = 3.3), p < 0.05, demonstrating recalibration of affective-cognitive processing (choral accompaniment modulates emotional rigidity). ‘Anxiety levels’ decreased on several parameters (Spielberger anxiety index: M = 42.5, SD = 4.8 → M = 34.1, SD = 3.9, p < 0.01); ‘salivary cortisol’—a biomarker of physiological stress reactivity—decreased (6.5 nmol/L → 5.0 nmol/L, p < 0.05). This study substantiates the role of ‘choral participation’ as an affective intervention, distinguishing it from passive music-making (which lacks sensorimotor engagement). Structured vocalisation should be integrated into pedagogical frameworks aimed at ‘academic stress regulation.’ Its capacity to recalibrate affective reactivity, stabilise neurophysiological markers and enhance social cohesion underscores its practical value in educational and clinical domains, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary expansion in psychophysiological research and cognitive-affective modelling.