Spontaneous motor tempo modulates the effect of music tempo on arousal levels

Music tempo affects listeners’ mental state, especially arousal levels. However, several studies have demonstrated that the effect of music tempo on arousal while listening to music can be modulated by individual differences, such as the pace of mental activity, that is, spontaneous motor tempo (SMT). Thus, SMT is a candidate factor that affects the relationship between music tempo and arousal. Here, we conducted a psychological experiment to investigate how SMT modulates the effect of music tempo on listeners’ arousal levels. First, the participants were required to tap their finger at their preferred tempo to identify the SMT of each participant. Next, the participants listened to music and then rated their arousal levels on a nine-point scale. A linear mixed model analysis revealed a significant effect of the interaction between music tempo and preferred tapping tempo on arousal levels. This finding indicates that SMT modulated the effect of music tempo on arousal levels while listening to music; the faster the SMT of a listener, the greater the impact of music tempo on arousal levels.