Integrating large language model-generated culturally adapted verbal suggestions into music therapy for university students: A pilot randomized exploratory study
- 1School of Teacher Education, Aba Teachers College, Wenchuan, Sichuan, China
- 2School of the Arts, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- 3Institute of Higher Music Education, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, China
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that culturally mismatched interventions may cause resistance and reduce the effectiveness of music-based interventions. This pilot randomized exploratory study examined the implementation and preliminary outcomes of a music-based intervention incorporating large language model (LLM)-generated, culturally adapted verbal suggestions among Chinese undergraduate students. A total of 113 participants were randomly assigned to three multicomponent conditions: (1) Chinese film music accompanied by LLM-generated verbal suggestions involving Eastern imagery, (2) a standardized music therapy recording with conventional verbal guidance, or (3) piano music without verbal guidance. Following a 40-minute cognitively demanding task, participants completed pre- and post-intervention measures of state anxiety, positive and negative affect, and heart rate. Baseline-adjusted ANCOVAs showed no group differences in positive affect, F(2, 109) = 1.03, p = .360, ηp2 = .019, or state anxiety, F(2, 109) = 0.68, p = .511, ηp2 = .012. A significant group effect was found for negative affect, F(2, 109) = 4.60, p = .012, ηp2 = .078; the Eastern imagery group had lower adjusted post-intervention scores than both comparison groups (Holm-adjusted ps = .026). Heart rate also differed across groups, F(2, 109) = 10.56, p < .001, ηp2 = .162, with lower adjusted values in the standardized therapy group than in the other two groups. The findings identify potentially meaningful response patterns but do not establish efficacy or the independent effect of culturally adapted verbal suggestions because the conditions differed in musical material and duration. Larger, controlled trials are required. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07359950).
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BibTeX
@article{li2026integrating,
title = {{Integrating large language model-generated culturally adapted verbal suggestions into music therapy for university students: A pilot randomized exploratory study}},
author = {Wen Li and Guoqing Wang and Pravina Manoharan and Xuerong Cui and Lu Dai and Li Huang},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0360478},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360478},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrating large language model-generated culturally adapted verbal suggestions into music therapy for university students: A pilot randomized exploratory study
AU - Wen Li
AU - Guoqing Wang
AU - Pravina Manoharan
AU - Xuerong Cui
AU - Lu Dai
AU - Li Huang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0360478
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0360478
AB - Previous research has suggested that culturally mismatched interventions may cause resistance and reduce the effectiveness of music-based interventions. This pilot randomized exploratory study examined the implementation and preliminary outcomes of a music-based intervention incorporating large language model (LLM)-generated, culturally adapted verbal suggestions among Chinese undergraduate students. A total of 113 participants were randomly assigned to three multicomponent conditions: (1) Chinese film music accompanied by LLM-generated verbal suggestions involving Eastern imagery, (2) a standardized music therapy recording with conventional verbal guidance, or (3) piano music without verbal guidance. Following a 40-minute cognitively demanding task, participants completed pre- and post-intervention measures of state anxiety, positive and negative affect, and heart rate. Baseline-adjusted ANCOVAs showed no group differences in positive affect, F(2, 109) = 1.03, p = .360, ηp2 = .019, or state anxiety, F(2, 109) = 0.68, p = .511, ηp2 = .012. A significant group effect was found for negative affect, F(2, 109) = 4.60, p = .012, ηp2 = .078; the Eastern imagery group had lower adjusted post-intervention scores than both comparison groups (Holm-adjusted ps = .026). Heart rate also differed across groups, F(2, 109) = 10.56, p < .001, ηp2 = .162, with lower adjusted values in the standardized therapy group than in the other two groups. The findings identify potentially meaningful response patterns but do not establish efficacy or the independent effect of culturally adapted verbal suggestions because the conditions differed in musical material and duration. Larger, controlled trials are required. (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07359950).
SN - 1932-6203
ER -