Effects of Background Music and Another Passenger on a Female Passenger’s Anxiety in a Mockup Elevator

Abstract

The effects of background music (BGM) and a fellow (male) passenger on a female passenger in the elevator were examined psychologically and physiologically. In the first experiment female participants were permitted to get off the elevator whenever she wanted in a session (high degree of control). There were significant passenger’s effects on participants’ subjective comfort. No effects of music were observed. In the second experiment, where the participants had to stay in the elevator until permission was given (low degree of control), heart rates of the participants were significantly lower in the BGM condition than in no music condition. In the third experiment, the three experimental conditions, BGM, fellow passenger, and degrees of control were included. There were no simple main effects. The presence of a male passenger improved participants’ comfort, and BGM suppressed heart rates as observed in the second experiment in the low degree of control condition. BGM reduced participants’ STAI scores and the presence of a male passenger decreased participants’ comfort in the high degree of control condition. These results indicate that the BGM may improve a female passenger’s subjective comfort; the effects depend on the degree of control and the presence of a fellow passenger, however.