Cognitive agency in music interventions: Increased perceived control of music predicts increased pain tolerance

Abstract

This study identifies that the act of selecting music contributes to increases in pain tolerance in parallel with the independent factor of enjoyment. This provides support for the role of cognitive agency in mediating the analgesic effects of music interventions, which suggests that people should be given as much control as possible in music interventions. Additionally, this study identifies specific individual attributes related to emotional engagement and empathy that amplify the effect of cognitive agency.