Music is helpful when studying

Question

https://www.fnu.edu/benefits-studying-music/

https://www.umgc.edu/blog/how-music-can-help-you-study

Answer 1

I believe the claim “Music is Helpful when Studying” is correct, but not based on the article you provided: https://www.umgc.edu/blog/how-music-can-help-you-study. I discovered that both authors; Theresa Schempp and Mike Sanders,  are legitimate. Both have lots of published work and both work with universities as well as having degrees in mass communications and english. The news site it is posted from is the University of Maryland Global Campus, so it’s legitimate. It is also current news (posted in 2024). Now, I checked one of the sources provided in the article “https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/health/brain-health/brain-health-and-music/”. It is from 2020 so I consider it current news. AAPR conducted the investigation “The AARP 20-minute online probability-based survey included 3,185 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Conducted April 1–14, it was weighted to include a balance of respondents by demographics.” So the research is legit. My main questioning point was that it doesn't exactly refer to studying as something improved by music. It says throughout the article that your “Music is not only enjoyable, research shows it can be good for your mind, heart, and soul.” So they proved music is beneficial for your mental-wellbeing, but it doesn’t exactly specify studying, as the original article did. Because of this, I say the information is irrelevant to the claim being made. Another source provided is “https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-022-01309-2” talking about how  Music-based activities in early childhood education have proven to support self-regulation, cognitive and intellectual development, literacy, and language. It is from 2022, so it is current news and from a reputable science based library. The author goes on to say (inferring from the article) that “No matter their age, students can continue to benefit from music to help their academic performance.” From this source however, I gathered that music is beneficial to young students in academic environments for their mental-wellbeing and focus. But again I don’t think this is good enough evidence to support the claim specifically when regarding studying as something that is helped from music because that is not exactly mentioned or researched in this source. Back to the main article, she references someone named Medina a lot “‘Instrumental or familiar music can be beneficial because it reduces the likelihood of getting caught up in lyrics or unfamiliar rhythms,’ says Medina.” but fails to provide information on who Medina is or where she got the provided quotes. So how could we trust these quotes with no information on who “Medina” is? It’s simply not trustworthy or legitimate to provide a random voice. So I looked up this quote on Snopes: https://www.snopes.com/search/?q=%E2%80%9CInstrumental%20or%20familiar%20music%20can%20be%20beneficial%20#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=%E2%80%9CInstrumental%20or%20familiar%20music%20can%20be%20beneficial%20&gsc.page=1 and there was, to no surprise not a matching result. Probably because the author failed to provide any more information on “Medina” besides the first name. Now, there are legitimate sources on here that  are actually relevant to the claim, from NIH “ “https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5125618/”. The article is from 2016, so it’s still relative. And the claims the author made match data from the posted research. “The study found that listening to 15Hz binaural beats can be used to successfully help with working memory performance.” I also noticed at the end that this article seems to be biased, they seem to be promoting their university when they said “ Regardless of what music you choose to listen to, you can succeed by earning your degree or certificate from UMGC.” This proves an agenda of the article is to promote studying at their university. I also believe the headline matches the content, to an extent, it could have been better and more concise if sources that I explained above as irrelevant to the claim weren’t provided.  I believe this claim is correct primarily due to the NIH article within the article that provides scientific evidence that music helps with the exact act of studying. But the one you linked seems biased and doesn’t provide the best information.

Comments

I really appreciate the depth of your analysis on the "Music is Helpful when Studying" claim. You did a solid job verifying the legitimacy and currency of the sources provided (especially pointing out the strong backing of the NIH article) while also identifying when some evidence is off-target—like the broad claims about mental wellbeing that aren’t directly tied to studying. I found your investigation of Medina’s quotes particularly insightful. It’s important to flag sources or quotes when the attribution is vague or missing, as credibility is key in these types of claims.

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Nice work providing multiple sources and creating a detailed fact-check.

Answer 2

After looking on a few sources, this appears to be true. However, it seems dependent on the type of music that the person would be listening to. Humans are not physically able to truly multitask so listening to music without music will hinder someones ability to get distracted. https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/blog/2021/03/10/does-listening-to-music-really-help-you-study/

Comments

I agree to this because the only factual evidence i could find that music helps with studying was from this article by the NIH: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5125618/, that only found music at a certain frequency, "15Hz binaural beats" helped with studying related activities. So the claim is true yes, but slightly too broad.

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I like how you pointed out that it depends on the type of music. I’ve definitely noticed that lyrics can be distracting, but instrumental or music helps me focus. I also agree that it is definitely different depending on the person.

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It was clear what point you were trying to make but there was not a lot of evidence provided. The article does say multitasking is a very difficult task but not much else. I would have liked to see more evidence or statements on why music does not help study.

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I agree to this because, not only from personal experience It has helped me a lot to, especially when studying when I listened to specific types of music. However my ability to multitask isn't hard on me whatsoever so if there are people who have difficultly with it I'd like to see more case studies and evidences that help solidify your comment. As just saying "Humans are not physically able to truly multitask." without proper case studies is not enough.

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I enjoyed viewing your source, however I feel collecting more data for this argument would be beneficial. Yes, there is clear scientific reason behind music aiding studying; however I feel the research conducted does not explore all possibilities of genre/listeners. There will never be a universal agreement of music's benefits simply because there is so much variation between individuals. I do wonder though, is there one agreeable genre that benefits all despite their stance on consuming music? Good sourcing though, it keeps the conversation going of our ability to multitask.

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I agree with you and appreciate the Texas A&M mention as your source. Having read a few sources myself, it does seem that music can aid and hinder studying depending on the type of music and what is being studied. As humans actually can't multitask, music—especially music with lyrics—can be a distraction at times. At the same time, for others, instrumental or well-known music also has the ability to drown out outside distractions. It is all a matter of discovering what is going to work best for the individual.

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I love that you specified the claim and made it more clear. By narrowing the claim it's easier to prove or disprove the claim. It's also helpful that you provided a link from a trusted university though it is written by a student that graduated in 2023.

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It would be great to see your source cited in-text. Example: According to X, the claim is true because....

Answer 3

I feel like this is not a true or false answer and it is opinionated because it could help some people but it also could distract some people. The first website listed explains "it is proven to help reduce stress!", but does not explain how it is proven to help reduce stress. The same website says studies show it reduces pain but what is the study.

Comments

I disagree because there is scientific evidence to back up this claim from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5125618/. Yes the evidence does not support the broadness of the claim. Because the NIH article only found that "music at 15Hz binaural beats" helps improve focus, memorization and other studying related actions.  So there does not seem to be proof that all music helps improve studying, and yes it is specific to the person and how they choose to study. Overall though, the claim is not completely opinionated because it can be backed by hard evidence, the claim is just not specific enough and could have been worded better.

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Always search for your own source rather than rely on the claim's source. Thanks!

Answer 4

You may be right about music helping some people study and learn. A news release from the University of Southern California in 2014, where they encouraged students to tune in to a local classical music station include multiple mentions of various research to support your claim. They mention multiple studies conducted at universities and research institutes in France, the United States (Duke Cancer Institute and University of San Diego), Russia, and Canada (University of Toronto) where it is suggested that classical music offers various benefits. These include improved learning and focus during lectures, reduced anxiety and pain during stressful procedures, lower blood pressure compared to other music genres, and enhanced relaxation.

Cited:

“Studying for Finals? Let Classical Music Help.” Targeted News Service, Targeted News Service, 2014.

Answer 5

Listening to music while studying can be beneficial, though its effectiveness depends on the individual. Studies and expert sources suggest that music can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance mood and motivation, and even improve focus and memory retention—especially when using instrumental or classical music. It can help create a positive and productive study environment for many students. However, the impact of music varies; some people may find it distracting, particularly when working on tasks that require deep concentration or reading comprehension. To make the most of music while studying, it’s important to choose the right type—non-lyrical, low-volume tracks are often the most effective. Ultimately, experimenting with different styles and monitoring your focus can help determine whether music supports or hinders your learning.

Answer 6

Ultimetly it depends on the person. music that is new or in the language you understand is more likely to be distracting, and it also doesnt simulate a testing enviroment so might not be the best idea. On the other hand, the way you study has a large role in how mich you retail, regardless of music. overall, the claim is not wrong with certain conditions in place.

https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/blog/2021/03/10/does-listening-to-music-really-help-you-study/

Answer 7

After reviewing a couple different sources I would say that listening to music is helpful while studying, although there are restrictions to the type of music you can listen to so that you can keep your attention on studying rather than the music. One article by Mia Mercer from an article from Texas A&M explains that humans can not multitask so studying while listening to music may be distracting to some. It also explains that the most beneficial way to listen to music why studying is to listen to music without words, or familiar music so it isn't something new and exciting, making you distracted from the task at hand. This idea of listening to instrumental music or familiar music is also explained by Theresa Schempp and Mike Sanders from a article from University of Maryland Global Campus. This article also mentions the effect of binaural beats and the positive relationship between a higher level of Hertz and attentiveness.

https://www.umgc.edu/blog/how-music-can-help-you-study

https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/blog/2021/03/10/does-listening-to-music-really-help-you-study/

Answer 8

I think this can definitely be true, however I think it heavily depends on the type of music you choose to listen to, along with the work you're doing. Ambient or instrumental music helps reduce anxiety and may improve focus, however other music may be distracting and difficult to multitask while listening to. This additionally may be difficult if you're doing work that requires a lot of brain power.

https://www.umgc.edu/blog/how-music-can-help-you-study

Comments

I agree with your claim, however I feel that looking into more articles surrounding on the one you provided would be more beneficial in adding more informations and sides to the topic. instead of relying on the articles provided by the question at hand, try clicking on the link provided in the article to broaden your knowledge on the topic and or doing your own reserch. However I do agree with the idea that it may be either helpful or a large distraction depending on the brain power that is required in order to get the work done, because it is very difficult fro humans to truly multitask although we might say we can, in actuality its much more of us "task switching"

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/conquering-cyber-overload/201005/mining-your-inner-moron-why-multitasking-is-such-a-waste

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I strongly agree with this comment. I believe it does matter what type of music it is. I would recommend looking at more sources for this topic. More on why different types of music are distracting and difficult to do work. I would also look for another source for the more instrumental music. I beilve this to be true but make sure u have the sources to back it up.

Answer 9

The effect that music has on the brain depends on the brain. Some student have trouble focusing with noises, especially words going in and out of the brain while studying. During my research I have found that white noise could be more beneficial to students and adults who are studying. In the article "White noise enhances new-word learning in healthy adults", the writer makes the claim that white noise allows the brain to form new understandings better than music with lyrics. Classical music is another alternative for white noise if the learner is distracted by the white noise and wants to listen to an instrumental sensation. Basically, I agree with the claim that music is helpful but, only when the music does not have lyrics because for some, the lyrics could be distracting and make it harder to remember certain concepts.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-13383-3

Comments

I agree with this statement, music and other noise stimulants can work differently depending on the person. and I liked how you pointe out the other forms of stimulants that can be used to help focus such as white noise, adding more nuance to what is best to listen to when doing work or studying,  I would like the add that in the article you provided, it states that those with ADHD have an easier time listening to music and white noise when doing work more than those with a highly focused mind which can hinder performance. however it does point out that either or could be more beneficial to the person based off performance. Its all about finding what helps a person best when it comes to studying.

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I believe this statement is very true. I liked how you talked about how different people work differently with words coming in and out while studying. I always struggle with the words when I study. I seem to try and focus on the music more than the actual work I need to do. I believe this is a great claim that you made.  I have also always found that white noise is super beneficial for me, and I also listen to it while I read. Again, this is me, and other people have completely different ways of studying.

Answer 10

After reading the articles and doing my own research I can conclude that music can be a beneficial tool to helping people study, however, there are many different facts that play into if music is beneficial or distracting. in the articles provided, it subjects that upbeat music when stressed can help with focus as well as in contrast, slower and more classical music can help calm your brain down into a more focused state. However these articles fail to raise the question of personal taste and personality factors (personal taste) into if listening to music truly helps when studying or doing work. Such as leaving out the idea of if you are doing repetitive work or work that is new to you music can help stimulate the brain making creativity flow. However can complicate the brain when doing new and or difficult tasks. But it also depends on the person and their focus levels if music can be helpful or a slight distraction. 

https://www.entrepreneur.com/leadership/these-6-types-of-music-are-known-to-dramatically-improve/325492