Rhythmic Regulation: The Impact of Self-Selected Beat Tempo on Anxiety, Cognitive Load, and Working Memory

Abstract

Anxiety alters both physiological regulation and cognitive performance, yet little is known about whether individuals can intuitively regulate these processes through self-selected rhythmic stimulation. This study examined whether self-selected beat tempo (SSBT) reflects an anxiety-regulatory strategy and whether such tempo choices modulate autonomic arousal and working memory performance. Thirty-three participants completed a backward digit span task (BDS) under two conditions—listening to their chosen beat and in silence—while heart rate (HR), heart-rate variability (HRV), skin conductance (EDA), and pupil dilation were continuously recorded. Contrary to robust findings in the literature linking trait anxiety (TA) to HRV suppression, elevated electrodermal activity, pupil dilation, and impaired working memory, TA showed no meaningful associations with any physiological or cognitive measures in this sample. Likewise, SSBT did not mediate relationships between TA and physiological arousal or cognitive performance. Nevertheless, across multiple mediation models, a consistent pattern emerged: faster beat tempi were associated with superior BDS performance, independent of physiological reactivity. Although not uniformly significant, this direct effect replicated across models, suggesting a potential tempo-based cognitive enhancement mechanism unrelated to trait anxiety or autonomic modulation. No evidence supported physiological entrainment to the chosen tempo. Overall, findings indicate that while SSBT does not operate as an anxiety-regulatory tool, tempo selection may nonetheless influence cognitive efficiency through pathways not captured by the physiological variables assessed. These results highlight the complexity of rhythm-cognition interactions and underscore the need for future work disentangling perceptual, motivational, and neurocognitive factors underlying tempo-based performance effects.