Studying with song: How music can help you learn

Question

The claim that music can aid learning, as presented in the Coppell Student Media article, is only partially supported by scientific research. The effectiveness of music during study sessions depends on a plethora of different factors.​ A study published in The Times found that listening to upbeat instrumental music, or "groovy" music, can enhance cognitive performance and mood. Participants who listened to such music completed tasks 7% faster without compromising accuracy and reported an improved mood. The researchers attributed these benefits to the rhythmic qualities of the music enhancing both mood and mental agility.​ However, other studies do suggest that the impact of background music on learning is influenced by individual differences and the nature of the task. If it's a mindless piece of homework, it's easier to knock it out with some music playing. But if it's an assignment that requires lots of focus and thinking, music can be a distraction. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology indicated that background music's effect on learning outcomes is moderated by the learner's working memory capacity. Specifically, individuals with higher working memory capacity showed improved comprehension when studying with background music, whereas those with lower capacity performed better without it.

Answer 1

yeah I’m just trying not really get it but it’s just like

Answer 2

The general argument that music can aid learning is true, but itdepends on a variety of variables, including the nature of the music, the nature of the task, and variability in individual cognitive capacity. Empirical evidence has suggested that listening to upbeat instrumental or "groovy" music will enhance cognition and mood. For instance, a PLOS ONE study published by The Times found that people who listened to fast-paced rhythmic music completed tasks some 7% faster without sacrificing accuracy and also reported feeling more upbeat. Researchers attributed these benefits to the rhythmicity of the music, which can boost alertness and mental agility. However, the impact of music on learning is not always positive. Studies show that music can be useful in the context of routine, repetitive activities when it can keep boredom at bay and boost motivation but distracting when one needs to focus very hard on more complicated tasks. This is particularly true for music with words, which has been shown to disrupt reading comprehension as well as other tasksinvolving high cognitive processing. Also, there are huge individualdifferences. Research conducted in Frontiers in Psychology indicates that people with higher working memory capacity perform better underbackground music when studying. Nevertheless, people with lower working memory capacity perform better without background music.

https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/how-does-music-impact-your-brain-and-workflow

Answer 3

While it is true that music does engage specific parts of the brain that are responsible for cognitive, memory and emotional components, and it can also motivate you in your studies this is a complicated topic as it is more of a preference than it is a fact. There is also a problem of the music maybe distracting you instead of helping you focus. There are a couple of music types that are best when working/studying, I suggest you try for yourself and find what works for you, try songs that don't have lyrics as it is tempting to sing, don't just blast the music and keep the volume low, slow and instrumental music work best for me or even the lo-fi playlist I find randomly. I think that everyone should try working with music, but be aware that not everything works for everyone.

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study#best-music-for-studying

Answer 4

While it is difficult to confirm whether this claim can be generalized that music helps people pay attention. In the original article, "Studying with Song, How music can help you learn," the author of the piece provides a perfect anecdote of how music helps her. However, one case study isn't enough to verify a claim. The author does provide research within the piece but not all of it is relevant to the claim. For example, the Stanford piece said that the purpose of their study was "to look at how brain sorts out events." Their research did study music's influence on the brain but it wasn't specifically on how music can help you learn.

https://coppellstudentmedia.com/131890/lifestyle/studying-with-song-how-music-can-help-you-learn/

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html

Answer 5

The claim that listening to music while studying can help a student learn is true, but not in the way that the article presents it. The Stanford study that the article references states that music activates the listener's brain ability to pay attention and remember events, but the examples used in the study show the listener paying better attention to the music itself, not other tasks. While being an avid music listener outside of studying can grow the brain's ability to learn, nothing in this study points towards music being helpful during the act of studying.

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html

The claim that music improves ones mood, and that an improved mood leads to improved learning, is true, and is backed up by a University of Maryland article that claims the same.  

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

This article also states that it is also important that the music is easy to tune out, or the student will have trouble prioritizing their work if the music is too interesting.

Answer 6

The claim that listening to music can help you learn varies by circumstance but when studying specifically, music may be a hindering factor in your ability to retain information. Everyone learns best differently, yet cognitive psychologist Brian Anderson says that “human beings are not capable of truly multitasking”, so hearing other words or distractions while trying to learn can limit the brain's ability to absorb new information. For example “when you’re doing two things at the same time, like studying and listening to music, and one of the things requires cognitive effort, there will be a cost to how much information you can retain doing both activities” as quoted by Anderson. Studies also show that when studying for an exam for instance, your brain can recall information better in the same environment in which you learned it, so mimicking the environment is optimal. Although there are still ways to listen to music while studying while minimizing distraction. For example, listening to instrumental music, or in another language can still allow for your brain to process and store new information.

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

Answer 7

After conducting my own research, I have concluded that studying with music can be beneficial to studying. According to the University of Maryland, listening to music in early childhood can help with things like intellectual development, literacy, and more. It has also been proven that listening to certain types of music can help improve mood and maintaining focus. Both instrumental and ambient music can help improve study habits and mood. This is not to say that music will 100% help you study, however there is evidence that it can be beneficial to some extent.

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

Comments

I really liked your claim but you mention that instrumental and ambient music can help with studying but do you know if there’s any research showing which one is more effective? I’m curious because I’ve heard that even small differences, like tempo or rhythm, can change how well people focus.

Answer 8

Exaggerated/Misleading. The claim that music aids learning, as presented in Coppell Student Media, is partially supported but oversimplified. A 2017 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that background music with lyrics tends to impair verbal learning (e.g., reading comprehension), while instrumental music has a less disruptive or neutral effect, depending on the individual and task. Similarly, a 2001 study in Computers in Human Behavior showed that background music increased cognitive load and reduced recall accuracy when participants performed learning tasks involving complex cognitive processes. These findings emphasize that task type, music characteristics (lyrics vs. instrumental), and individual cognitive capacity (like working memory) all moderate the effects of music on learning. While music may boost mood and performance for simple or repetitive tasks, it often hinders complex learning activities requiring focused attention. Thus, the article’s claim holds some truth but lacks critical nuance about these moderating factors.

Sources:

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01902/full

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563200000431

Answer 9

The claim that music helps you study and focus is mostly true, as supported by evidence from both National University and the University of Maryland Global Campus. According to Dr. Masha Godkin from National University, “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory.” Similarly, Dr. Phyllis Medina explains that “the right choice of music, such as instrumental or ambient music, can help block out distractions, improve concentration, and maintain attention during study sessions.” Now, the reason I say mostly is because both articles agree that instrumental, ambient, or binaural beats are most effective for studying, meaning that not all music can be effective. If they include lyrics and complex rhythms, it can cause distractions. Research cited by the NIH even found that listening to 15Hz binaural beats improved memory task accuracy by about three percent in just five minutes, confirming the benefits of certain types of music during academic work.

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

https://www.nu.edu/blog/can-music-help-you-study-and-focus/#:~:text=The%20potential%20of%20music,improve%20memory%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Dr.

Answer 10

When reading through this article I felt it touches on something that I’ve seen as generally true, in that music can help relax the brain into a better state for learning. Looking at an article from science direct it seems there’s a lot of various factors to show background music isn’t necessarily helping for everyone; as older people, people not used to studying with music, and vocal back ground music, can all be seen as factors that disrupt positive results. There’s also evidence for it being positive in the article as it reviews studies that show classical music and younger test takers, reading at a faster rate and retaining more information respectively. This seems to be a very nuanced area in that it depends on various factors of the individual if it will definitely help or not.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691821001670)

Comments

I really like how you pointed out that background music doesn’t work the same for everyone. Did the article say anything about how long it takes for someone to adjust to studying with music if they aren’t used to it? I just wonder if that could change the results over time.