Evaluating effects of synchronous music reinforcement on increasing treadmill walking speed in a stepwise fashion

This study evaluated the effects of synchronous music reinforcement on walking speed in a laboratory-based treadmill preparation. Thirty undergraduate students walked on a nonmotorized treadmill for a 15-min session consisting of an initial continuous music component, three synchronous reinforcement components, and a final continuous music component. During the initial continuous music component (CM 1), participants received continuous access to self-selected music, and their mean speed was used to set individualized criteria for the synchronous components. In the synchronous components, music was delivered contingent on maintaining a speed of 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 m/s above CM 1, respectively. During the final component, music was provided continuously. Results showed that 23 of 30 participants (76.7%) demonstrated schedule control by maintaining walking speed above criterion for the majority of synchronous components. Heart rate increased across components in accordance with speed requirements, and ratings of perceived exertion indicated moderate physical effort. Notably, several participants who did not demonstrate schedule control showed increased walking speed during the final continuous music component. Overall, the findings indicate that synchronous reinforcement using participant-selected music can produce stepwise increases in walking speed, supporting its potential as a socially significant and low-cost strategy to promote aerobic physical activity.