AUTHOR=Dingle Genevieve A. , Hodges Joseph , Kunde Ashleigh 

TITLE=Tuned In Emotion Regulation Program Using Music Listening: Effectiveness for Adolescents in Educational Settings

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00859

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00859

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>This paper presents an effectiveness study of <italic>Tuned In</italic>, a novel emotion regulation intervention that uses participant selected music to evoke emotions in session and teaches participants emotional awareness and regulation skills. The group program content is informed by a two dimensional model of emotion (arousal, valence), along with music psychology theories about how music evokes emotional responses. The program has been evaluated in two samples of adolescents: 41 “at risk” adolescents (76% males; <italic>M</italic><sub>age</sub> = 14.8 years) attending an educational re-engagement program and 216 students (100% females; <italic>M</italic><sub>age</sub> = 13.6 years) attending a mainstream secondary school. Results showed significant pre- to post-program improvements in measures of emotion awareness, identification, and regulation (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01 to <italic>p</italic> = 0.06 in the smaller “at risk” sample and all <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001 in the mainstream school sample). Participant ratings of engagement and likelihood of using the strategies learned in the program were high. <italic>Tuned In</italic> shows promise as a brief emotion regulation intervention for adolescents, and these findings extend an earlier study with young adults. <italic>Tuned In</italic> is a-theoretical in regard to psychotherapeutic approach and could be integrated with other program components as required.</p>