Results and Future Studies

I wanted to share the results of the study that I have been conduction at the student store. While the change is not as defined as my hypothesis had suggested, the data still suggests that music does have an underlying effect on sales. The music I played was a playlist of popular instrumental songs. I thought that this would be a good balance of popular music as well as calming music as the students would be able to recognize the tune, drawing them in, but the music would have a slow pace, encouraging a relaxing environment, that everyone could withstand. Here is a graph of the data:

Here is the data in a table:

Day of the Week	No Music (Week of 3/22-3/25)	Music (Week of 3/29-4/1)	Percent change
Tuesday	$1390	$1287	-7.4%
Wednesday	$1129	$1225	+7.8%
Thursday	$1474	$1439	-2.4%
Friday	$1023	$1386	+26.2%

It is important to note, however, that on both Tuesday and Friday of the weeks in which music was being played, there was no tutorial which, to a certain extent, effected the response. After continuing to conduct my research and analyze the data I have come to a couple conclusions:

1. It is hard to replicate the results that stores like Target or Walmart get when they play music or don’t for a few different reasons
   • The students at Durham Academy are not permitted to spend more than a certain amount of time in the store
   • Only a certain amount of students are allowed to come in the store at a time
   • The music was turned down or even shut off during different parts of the day as different teachers had meetings or did not want to listen to the music during the day
   • Many students could not hear the music due to the loud nature of the Learning Commons at Durham Academy
2. My research has also suggested that music’s effect on consumer habits is more directed at individual purchases rather than total sales. Thus, this is the area I am going to be focusing on in the future.

I have talked with my advisor and AP Psychology teacher Mrs. Frasher who has graciously offered and suggested that I perform some studies, using the mock online store, on her two AP Psych classes. I have decided that for this study I am going to be testing the so-called “vibe” of music and it’s role in what consumers buy. Thus, I am planning on splitting the classes up into four groups. I will tell each group that they have between 5-15 minutes in the store, they have a budget of anywhere between $0-25, and they must cook a meal for their family of 4. For each group, I will be playing a different type of music. This format is very advantageous because it allows me to test a multitude of different domains will only completing one study. In this experiment I will be recording what the consumers purchase, how much they spend, and how much time they spend in the online store.

Here is my plan:

• Group 1. For this group I will be playing beach themed, relaxing music (maybe reggae) in the background. I hypothesize that this music will encourage the consumers to purchase seafood/beach-style dishes, spend more time in the store since they feel relaxed, and spend more money as if they were on vacation.

• Group 2. For this group I will be playing fast-paced, loud rock and roll and pop music. I hypothesize that because this type of music is usually heard alongside a concert or sporting event, the consumers will purchase unhealthier foods, spend less time in the store (due to the fast-paced music), and spend less money.

• Group 3. For this group I will be playing calming instrumental music. I hypothesize that the consumers will purchase healthier, more organic foods, spend more time in the store, and spend more money.

• Group 4. For this final group I will be playing traditional South Asian music. I hypothesize that the consumers will choose to purchase asian style dishes, they will spend an average amount of money, and will spend an average amount of time in the store.

I base my hypotheses on the following abstracts:

Effects of Sound Pressure Level and Sensitivity to Noise on Mood and Behavioral Intent in a Controlled Fine Dining Restaurant Environment by Christopher C. Novak

Abstract: “This study assesses the restaurant servicescape variable sound pressure level (volume) of the restaurant soundscape, comprised of four conditions—ambient noise, ambient noise plus soft classical, ambient noise plus comfortable classical, and ambient noise plus comfortable but slightly loud classical music—and subject sensitivity to noise and their influence on mood and approach or avoidance behavior in a fine dining, white-tablecloth university restaurant… Significant relationships were drawn between sound pressure levels, sensitivity to noise, mood (pleasure and arousal), gender, and behavioral intent relative to repeat patronage and ability to communicate in the various experimental conditions. Presence of appropriate music at “comfortable” volume levels increases dining pleasure of college-age clientele (19–27 years old), return behavior intentions, and overall consumer satisfaction. No music and music that is judged too loud result in similar perceptions of overall loudness and negative effects on measures of customer dining pleasure and repeat behavioral response” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15428052.2010.535756)

Sounds like a Healthy Retail Atmospheric Strategy: Effects of Ambient Music and Background Noise on Food Sales by Dipayan Biswas, Kaisa Lund, and Courtney Szocs

Abstract: “Retail atmospherics is becoming an increasingly important strategic tool for stores and restaurants. Ambient music and background noise are especially important atmospheric elements given their ubiquity in retail settings. However, there is high variation in the volume of ambient music and background noise, with some stores/restaurants having very loud ambience and others having very quiet ambience. Given the variation in loudness levels at stores/restaurants, and the managerial ease of adjusting volume level, we investigate the consequences of ambient music (and background noise) volume on food choices and sales. A pilot study, two field experiments, and five lab studies show that low (vs. high or no) volume music/noise leads to increased sales of healthy foods due to induced relaxation. In contrast, high volume music/noise tends to enhance excitement levels, which in turn leads to unhealthy food choices.” (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324843071_Sounds_like_a_healthy_retail_atmospheric_strategy_Effects_of_ambient_music_and_background_noise_on_food_sales)

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I look forward to sharing my results with you soon!