While it is easier to focus on a task with as little distraction as possible, some people prefer to listen to music while they are studying. And while what music someone listens to is completely a matter of individual preference, certain types or genres are better than others when it comes to aiding concentration and focus.
The Psychology of Study
In 2008, University of Toledo professor Stephen Christman analyzed the psychology of study. Christman says that one of the major factors of concentration is the person's arousal level. A quiet room can cause a person to have a low arousal level, while a room with a lot of activity will cause them to have a high arousal level. The key to focus, Christman says, is achieving an optimum level of stimulation. This can be achieved by modest levels of exercise, before and during the study session, to release endorphins that will help calm down the person trying to study.
When it comes to whether or not to listen to music during a study session, Christman said that while it is better to study with no distractions, music can help solve the issue of the split between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. While the left hemisphere is better at dealing with concentration, the right hemisphere deals with complementary attention, such as reacting to a phone ringing. Playing music while studying allows the right hemisphere to "enjoy itself" and not get bored while doing something that would normally be very tedious.
Lyrics Can Affect the Level of Concentration
Not all music is made equal when it comes to trying to concentrate. Anything with lyrics can prove to be more harmful than helpful. The same part of the brain that is trying to focus on the task at hand – i.e. reading a novel or trying to solve a math problem – is the same part of the brain that is listening to the words in the song. Listening to something without lyrics – such as classical or instrumental – prevents the brain from trying to do both. If words are absolutely unavoidable, listen to something with calming and peaceful lyrics, that won't promote tiredness.
Does Mozart Make People Smarter?
While classical music can help promote concentration and focus when studying for an exam, it will not increase general IQ, at least not according to a 1993 study done by Rauscher, et al on the subject. While the group's study showed that subjects who listened to Mozart's sonata for two pianos for ten minutes did show better spatial reasoning skills than they did after listening to relaxation instructions, the subjects' overall IQ was not effected. During that ten minutes, however, their IQs increased by 8-9 points.
This "Mozart Effect," as it has been called, is especially marketable to parents with children. There are "Baby Mozart," "Baby Genius - Mozart and Friends," and other such DVDs and CDs that promise that children who listen to Mozart will become geniuses. While the effects are indeed beneficial, the long-term effects may not be as great as it has been made out to be. In adults, at least, listening to Mozart hasn't lead to a rise in genius intelligence.
Even though studies do confirm that classical music can help concentration, that doesn't mean that other genres should be neglected altogether. Classical may do better than, say, rap, when it comes to helping people focus, but a person's preference or state of mind will also affect their level of concentration. More studies will need to be done to see if a placebo effect can be applied to music as well.
Sources:
Whitis, Emil. "The psychology of study." The Independent Collegian. Dec. 1, 2008. Web.
"The Mozart effect." National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2001. Web. (accessed 11 Jan. 2010).
Tayla Holman - Tayla is a student at Hofstra University, where she is majoring in print journalism and English with a concentration in publishing ...
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