A preliminary study has explored the connection between music familiarity and preschoolers' heart rates during music classes. The research, which is provisionally accepted for publication in Frontiers in Psychology, tracked heart rates in children aged 3-5.
Study Design
Seven children participated in weekly 30-minute music classes over eight consecutive weeks. Heart rate monitors were used to track physiological responses during these sessions.
Key Findings
Two main observations emerged from the study:
- Heart Rate Synchronization: The study reported notable synchronization of heart rates among the children, suggesting shared physiological shifts during collective musical engagement.
- Unfamiliar Music and Heart Rate: One analysis indicated that heart rates were significantly lower during unfamiliar music compared to familiar songs or transition periods. However, another statistical model did not find a statistically significant difference in mean heart rates across these conditions. This mixed statistical outcome suggests that while a signal may exist, it is challenging to capture with a small sample size and complex, time-linked data.
Lower heart rates can sometimes align with an "orienting" response, where the body becomes attentive to new stimuli. Heart rate changes can also reflect effort, excitement, movement, or stress.
Implications for Early Childhood Education
While not advocating for biometric monitoring, the study's findings offer considerations for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in planning musical experiences:
- Strategic Use of Familiar Music: Familiar songs can provide predictability and emotional safety, particularly during routine transitions like arrival or pack-up.
- Scaffolding Unfamiliar Music: Introducing new music with predictable structures, such as repeated refrains, call-and-response, or visual cues, can help children engage without becoming dysregulated.
- Managing Transitions: Higher heart rates observed during transition periods suggest that switching activities can increase arousal. Planning smoother transitions with clear cues and consistent sequencing may reduce stress.
- Co-regulation: The observed heart rate synchronization prompts reflection on how shared musical experiences can support belonging and collective regulation, especially when adult pacing and presence are steady.
Limitations and Future Research
This report is preliminary, featuring a small sample size and taking place in a specific naturalistic setting. The authors identified methodological needs, including more sophisticated modeling for heart rate data and the need for larger samples. Future studies could investigate:
- Whether unfamiliar music consistently triggers a lower heart rate "orienting" response in group settings.
- If patterns differ for children with sensory sensitivities, anxiety, or neurodivergent profiles.
- How educator-led transition strategies affect physiological responses and behavioral engagement.
- The relationship between heart rate synchrony and observed social connection or sustained attention.
For now, the study suggests that ECEC leaders should plan musical experiences with intentional pacing, predictable transitions, and thoughtful introductions of novelty.