Predicting donation behavior from psychophysiological responses to music with prosocial lyrics

BACKGROUND: According to the General Learning Model (GLM), music with prosocial lyrics is assumed to promote prosocial behavior by eliciting empathy. However, existing research has primarily relied on self-report questionnaires to assess empathy. Such measures are susceptible to social desirability bias and individual differences, making it difficult to objectively capture empathic responses. Although some studies have attempted to employ psychophysiological indicators (e.g., heart rate variability, HRV) as indirect measures of empathy and have identified significant associations, there remains a lack of systematic research integrating prosocial lyrical music, psychophysiological responses, and actual prosocial behavior within a unified framework. OBJECTIVE: The present study innovatively combines psychophysiological indices (e.g., HRV) with self-report measures to examine whether music with prosocial lyrics can elicit empathy at both the objective physiological and subjective self-evaluative levels. Furthermore, by incorporating a novel online donation task, this study aims to directly test the effect of prosocial lyrical music on prosocial behavior. METHODS: A randomized crossover design will be employed. Sixty participants will be recruited, and their heart rate variability (HRV) will be recorded while they listen to two types of music: music with prosocial lyrics and neutral music. HRV will serve as an index of empathic response. Following the listening session, participants will complete an online charitable donation task. RESULTS: The findings of this study are expected to provide psychophysiological evidence regarding whether music with prosocial lyrics increases donation behavior and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The results will also offer theoretical support for the effectiveness of prosocial lyrical music in enhancing empathy and promoting charitable giving.