Effect of music tempo in First-Person Shooter on arousal and aggression

The present study used a between subjects, post-test only design to investigate the impact of background music (low tempo music vs. high tempo music) on arousal and aggression of a player playing a first-person shooter video game: Counter-Strike. Arousal was measured using Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and aggression using an Implicit Attitude Test (IAT). Results indicate no significant differences in the arousal and aggression between the two conditions implying that music tempo plays no role in manipulating the arousal and aggression of a player in gaming context. The study did, however, find a significant correlation between arousal and aggression in high tempo condition, suggesting a general trend that more aroused subjects showed more aggressive cognitions. No significant correlation was found in the low tempo condition.