Within this project, the students

observed the difference between how

live music and pre-recorded music
will impact the reaction time and the
speed of a hamster. They set up a
maze for the hamsters to complete,
and measure the time it takes for the
hamster to complete the maze with no
sounds to guide it. The trials will be
done with various instruments guiding
the hamster to the finish; half of the
trials was done with the use of live
music and the other half will be done
with pre-recorded audio.
“We hypothesized the hamsters will be
most active when listening to guitar as
it is usually played at a higher tempo
and has a lower pitch,” the girls wrote.
“We also think that the hamsters will
be less active when listening to the
kalimba as it is usually played at a
slower tempo and has a higher pitch.”
The students hoped to solve the
problem of what instrument hamsters
would react to the most. When
running the trial, the students had
decided to record the trials and split
the trial into three different sections:
baseline, condition, and
post-condition. After every section,
dividers within one-way would be
lifted. They compiled data of 5
conditions and their effects on 3
hamster behaviors: grooming, running,
and digging. Of the 5 conditions, they
found that white noise led to the
greatest increase throughout all 3
behaviors while kalimba had the
greatest decrease. With this analysis,
the students found their hypothesis
was only half correct because white
noise had the effect they believed
guitar would.
The students' data showed what was
expected during the experiment; there
was almost always an increase from
baseline to condition and then a
decrease from condition to
post-condition. This was expected due
to the condition having a much longer
time span compared to the others. The
students were surprised to see constant
increasing in white noise and constant
decreasing in kalimba.

Can Hamsters Die from Loud

Music?
Loud music doesn’t directly kill
hamsters. However, stress-related
conditions brought on by loud music
can be life-threatening. Long-term,
loud music can alter a hamster’s
personality and lead to illness.
Also, loud music can be dangerous if
it catches a hamster by surprise and
makes it jump. While hamsters are
aerodynamic, they can still break
bones from a bad fall.

Procedure
1-Buy materials
2-Get our three hamsters
3-Build the maze
4-Experiment with three different
types of music with each hamsters
5-Try out the reactions and time of the
hamsters in the maze

Materials
Hamster
Durapax
Speaker

Negative effects of music on the brain

There are studies that show, however,
that music can impact our mood
long-term, increasing depression or
anxiety. Certain songs, certain lyrics,
certain genres of music are more
likely to intensify depression or
anxiety, sometimes as much or more
as outside stressors and environmental
factors.

So, do hamsters like music? Hamsters

do like some genres of music. This
includes classical, pop, and some
metal or rock. However, loud music
should not be playing, where your
hamster is present, as loud noises can
easily stress out your little pet.

Question
Does music affect rodents?
Data

Hypothesis
The hamster that listen to classical
music will be intellectual enough to
complete the maze
Data
Conclusions: Music interventions
seem to improve brain structure and
neuro-chemistry; behavior;
immunology; and physiology in
rodents. Further research is necessary
to explore and optimize the effect of
music interventions, and to evaluate
its effects in humans.