The Magic’s in the Making Music: Music, Dance, and Cortisol for Preschool Children Facing Adversity

• In Event: Prevalence of Arts Engagement in Childhood and Associated Benefits for Cognitive, Physiological, and Social-Emotional Outcomes

Abstract

Background: Music and dance can benefit stress reduction and emotion regulation (Harvey, 2020; Menzer, 2015). This may be particularly important for children who face high levels of poverty-related stress (Brown et al., 2016). Yet few empirical studies have examined which elements of music and dance are "active ingredients" responsible for positive effects. The present study combines experimental and quasi-experimental components and observational coding to distinguish music and dance program activities that uniquely predict reductions in the stress hormone cortisol for young children attending a Head Start preschool. Implications concern identifying potent aspects of music and dance programming that might be included in interventions for young children placed at risk via poverty and related forms of adversity.

Method: This study included 74 children ages 3 to 5 years (mean = 4 years) who attended a Head Start preschool. Of these, 42% were identified as female, 58% as male, 36% Black/African Heritage, 17% Latino/a/x or Hispanic Heritage, 14% Asian Heritage, and 31% White/European Heritage, and 80% of the families fell under the threshold for poverty status, with 99% classified as low-income. Ethical standards were followed, and all procedures were approved by the appropriate IRBs. Children were randomly assigned, by preschool class, to different schedules of music, dance, and homeroom classes on different days of the week. Trained research assistants completed demographic interviews with parents or caregivers in September, and then assessed child activity type and salivary cortisol on 6 days across the preschool year, and 4 times across the day: 10:30am, 12pm, 1:30am, and 3pm, with activities coded during a 15-30min block prior. Cortisol sampling was scheduled based on current standards (Gunnar & Adam, 2012) to capture the impact of music and dance activities and to avoid interference from eating. All music and dance activities the child could have engaged in during the focal 15-minute block were coded dichotomously (1 = participation, 0 = no participation in this activity), and scores for each activity summed across the block. Of 16 possible activities identified a priori, 8 were unique to music/dance and observed in the study: (1) music instruction (e.g., directions for how to sing, dance, or play an instrument); (2) stationary movements (teacher-directed); (3) motor relay (passing a movement from one person to the next to music); (4) circle dance (teacher-directed); (5) singing; (6) playing instruments; (7) free creative movement to music; and (8) obstacle course to music.

Results and Interpretation: Table 1 displays average cortisol levels in music and dance versus homeroom classes at each time of day. Table 2 displays results of a hierarchical linear model (HLM) examining the impact of the music and dance activities on log cortisol, after accounting for the impact of time of day. Singing, playing an instrument, and motor relay related uniquely to reductions in cortisol. These three activities uniquely involved a combination of active participation in making music (or movements), with some teacher guidance. Implications concern the potential potency of a combination of creativity and guidance.

Authors

• Ellie Brown, West Chester University

• Steven J. Holochwost

• Dennie Palmer Wolf, WolfBrown

• Alyssa Allen, West Chester University

• Padmaja Charya, West Chester University
  Presenting Author

• Mallory Leigh Garnett, University of Delaware

• Blanca Velazquez-Martin

• Suzanne Varnell, Purdue University, West Lafayette

• Jessa Malatesta