According to study.com, background music may improve focus on a task by providing motivation and improving mood.
By | Jessie Woo
As many students prepare for the end of semester one assessments, some will find a quiet place to settle down and begin studying, while others put on noise-cancelling headphones and tap the play button, letting the sound of music drown out all background noises before beginning their studies.
With the rise in popularity of listening to music while studying, there is now a vast amount of opinions on whether music is a beneficial source of creating a strong focus, or is a distraction that worsens a student’s study habits, it can be agreed that music can indirectly affect a person studying.
For those who have stated that music has positively impacted their studying, they may have seen an increase in productivity, focus, and motivation.
According to research, music influences mood, and with an adequate mood, it can result in better performance in learning as well as create better quality of work.
Studies have also shown that music engages the left and right brain, and people show signs of improved memory and increased ability to absorb information.
Classical music is a well known genre that is commonly listened to while studying, and there is strong evidence, through multiple studies, that it increases memorization and the ability to interpret.
However, in the counterarguments, some would argue that music hasn’t done much to improve their studying abilities.
Research has also shown that music, especially certain ones with lyrics and are fast and loud, can become a barrier to attaining the desired focus.
Studies have shown that it causes more struggle to understand and remember information. It becomes a challenge of multitasking between studying and listening, therefore the music actually creates more distractions.
The different perspectives on how music affects studying varies between each person. It can be beneficial and allow a person to increase their ability to absorb and retain information.
But for others, it becomes a challenge and drags their focus and productivity down. It can be an advantage and disadvantage based on what suits a person’s way of studying.
Has music given you those benefits, or has it become another unneeded distraction?