Cognitive And Neural Mechanisms Of The Effect Of Heavy Metal Music On Adolescent Risk-taking Behavior

Heightened vulnerability to risk taking in adolescence has been found in many studies.Researchers tried to explore the neuro-cognitive mechanisms underlying risk-taking behavior.In recent years, Steinberg et al.(2008) proposed a dual system model, which tried to explainthis issue from a developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective. Music plays an importantrole in adolescents' daily life. Moreover, adolescent shows significant preference for heavymetal music. This study attempts to propose a new theoretical model, using a social cognitiveneuroscience perspective, on the basis of the dual system model that could explain whatcognitive and neural mechanisms might underly the impact of heavy metal music onrisk-taking behavior.Study1: The predictive effect of heavy metal music preference on adolescent'srisk-taking behavior was examined. First, A Chinese version of the Arnett Inventory ofSensation Seeking (AISS) was refined among a young adolescent sample (N=3,505) usingexploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM).And the questionnaire's reliability,construct validity, criterion-related validity were examined. Secondly, the musical excerpts,which were selected based on Rentfrow et al.(2011), were played to the Chinese adolescents(N=445). Adolescents were informed to indicate their degree of liking for each musicalexcerpt. The hierarchical structure of the one-through five-factor solution procedure whichwas proposed by Goldberg (2006) was conducted to confirm the musical preference structure.Finally, the predictive effect of the Intense factor which represented heavy metal music on theArnett Sensation Seeking Scale's scores was calculated.Study2: The impact of external musical variables (heavy metal subculture) on a heavymetal music fan's risk-taking behavior was examined. The heavy metal music fan (N=17)finished a traffic light task under different social contexts which were created by manipulatingpeer's music preference similarities (same/different music preferences with participant). Thedifference of risk-taking behavior between the two social contexts was examined.Study3: A behavior and event related potentials (ERPs) study on the effect of externalmusical variables (music tempo) on risk-taking behavior. First, adolescents'(N=21)differences of risk-taking behavior under different speed (fast/slow) heavy metal musicbackgrounds were examined by the Balloon Analog Risk Task (BART). Secondly, by usingevent-related potentials technology, adolescents (N=17) were asked to finish Go-Nogoparadigms under different speed (fast/slow) heavy metal music backgrounds. Their cognitivecontrol abilities, and electrophysiological characteristics were examined.Based on the empirical research analyses results on the heavy metal music preferenceand risk-taking behavior, following conclusions were found in these studies:1. The results were quite supportive of the applicability of the AISS to Chinese youngadolescents 2. A latent5-factor MUSIC structure underlying music preferences that is genre free andreflects primarily emotional/affective responses to music was confirmed to fit a Chineseadolescent sample.3. The Intense factor which represented heavy metal music predicted adolescents'risk-taking behavior.4. Traffic lights paradigm had a good applicability and could be widely used in studies ofrisk-taking behavior.5. Significant differences were found of heavy metal music fan's risk-taking behaviorbetween different social contexts. Participants took more risks, when in same musicpreference conditions than different music preference conditions.6. The heavy metal music tempo in the background had a significant impact onrisk-taking behavior. Significantly greater risk-taking behaviors were demonstrated with fasttempo, heavy metal music backgrounds than slow tempo.7. Fast heavy metal music tempo in the background consumed more cognitive resources,that presumably can reduce cognitive control capacity.8. Fast heavy metal music tempo in the background induced more risk-taking behaviorby reducing cognitive control capacity.9. Two main paths were found in empirical studies. One path was external variables ofheavy metal music induced risk-taking behavior by affecting individuals' socio-emotionalreward systems. The other path was internal variables of heavy metal music inducedrisk-taking behavior by influencing individuals'cognitive control capacity.