Listening and Musical Engagement: An Exploration of the Effects of Different Listening Strategies on Attention, Emotion, and Peak Affective Experiences

Music educators often use guided listening strategies as a means of enhancing engagement during music listening activities. Although previous research suggests that these strategies are indeed helpful in facilitating some form of cognitive and emotional engagement, little is known about how these strategies might function for music of differing styles, or how they might affect attention, emotion, and peak affective experiences specifically during listening. In this study, these factors were investigated through the lens of three previously examined strategies: a distraction index, labeling of musical elements, and unguided listening. General findings suggest that the most consequential factor in enhancing musical engagement was presenting students with some type of goal either during or at the end of listening, regardless of the musical style or listening strategy used throughout the task. Furthermore, implications of the use of listening strategies during academic settings are discussed.