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

Studying with song: How music can help you learn

It is stated above that overall music can help you study better. In my process of research I have found that there many sources that prove listening to background music can improve the learning process or studying. "Rather than distracting college students, a Stanford study found that “music moves [the] brain to pay attention.” Researchers utilized musical compositions from the 1800s in their study and found that “music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory"(The Benefits of Studying with Music Florida National University ). It states that music engages areas involved with paying attention, paying attention is crucial in order to learn and engage with the course work. 

In many cases there are also proven facts that music can distract others. Many studies also show that music in a specific tempo or density can be more of a distraction. For example "music that’s too loud or fast might just interrupt your thoughts and hinder your process"(Frontiers in Psychology). 

Many studies show that it can be helpful or distract, but it is also shown that there are "no main effects of background music or working memory capacity"(National Library of Medicine). A profound amount of sources also show that is no negative or positive effect in wether you listen to music to help you learn, proving that it is dependant.

Overall, through many sources, I found it is clear that listening to music can help and distract others. Listening to music is a constant discussion up for conversion due to the many sources proving both sides. Music helps others focus and process things, but can hinder others from understanding. Many of the reasons can depend wether the music is fast pace, loud, lyrical, etc. In conclusion music won't help everyone learn or retain information better. All depends on the type of person you are.

Answer 2

I think this claim was supported by poor research. Coppel Student Media is a high school journalism group, and it was made mostly on opinion and seemed like a blog post more than research. Although articles from https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study suggest music helps with mood and concentration. I think overall the claim isn't "fake news," however I wonder why stronger sources weren't used.

Answer 3

The claim that music helps you learn is supported by a range of credible sources, although there are some subtle differences to consider regarding the specifics of the relationship between music and learning.

The article from Coppell Student Media draws on research from reputable sources, such as Stanford Medicine. A study by Stanford researchers found that music engages the areas of the brain responsible for attention, prediction, and memory updating, with peak brain activity occurring during short silences between musical movements. This supports the idea that music has a role in enhancing focus and cognitive processes, particularly in learning environments. Given Stanford's reputation and its use of advanced fMRI technology, this research provides a solid foundation for the claim.

The National Library of Medicine also contributes to this argument, with studies showing that music can activate reward pathways in the brain, triggering the release of dopamine. While the correlation between dopamine release and music is supported, it's important to note that much of the research in this area is correlational, not causal, meaning that while there's a link, direct manipulation of dopamine through music hasn't been definitively proven. The statement in the article that "music triggers the release of dopamine" is technically accurate but somewhat oversimplified, as it doesn't account for the complex nature of the process.

Additionally, Florida National University supports the idea that music can aid in learning by reducing test anxiety and improving memory retention, especially in high-pressure situations. Studies cited by the university, including those from Stanford and UC Davis, demonstrate that music is linked to improved performance, such as in memorizing information (e.g., learning elements of the periodic table through song).

While the claim that music helps with learning is true, the oversimplified statement about dopamine release should be viewed with caution, as the existing research on this connection remains largely correlational. Nevertheless, the overall evidence supports the idea that music can enhance cognitive processes and aid in learning.

Stanford Medicine: Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds | News Center

National Library of Medicine: Dopamine modulates the reward experiences elicited by music - PMC

Florida National University: The Benefits of Studying with Music - Florida National University (FNU)

Answer 4

The claim that music can aid learning, can not necessarily be proven or disproven because at the end of the day it comes down to the person and their ability to multi task, which listening to music and studying is. In the article by the Coppell Student Media suggests that there are many factors that determine someones ability to study and listen to music. The type of music you are listening to and the volume of which the music is set at are two of the most important factors to consider when thinking about this claim. Music has the ability to access both sides of the brain allowing for a greater grasp of the content. All of these articles come to the conclusion that it does not necessarily improve your cognitive ability, but it can help aid if it is the right tune and the right person. To me it just sounds like it all varies from person to person and that we may never have a difinitive answer to this question.

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

Article two: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5671572/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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

Article four: https://www.nu.edu/blog/can-music-help-you-study-and-focus/#:~:text=Choose%20something%20you%20like%3A%20For,not%20the%20background%20music%20itself.

Answer 5

As presented in the Coppell Student Media article, music is a signifiant aid for parts of your brain that deal with attention, energy, and focus. These scientifically-proven claims are able to successfully prove that music can have no direct downsides when studying. According to a study by the University of Maryland, it was found that studying to instrumental music with no lyrics can greatly improve focus and retention due to the fact that the brain won't have to worry about getting caught up with lyrics and predicting the next part of the song (UMGC). Ambient music is able to add a calming effect to people's minds and allow them to have absolute focus to their work or studying at hand. The originally cited article also claims that music is also a "mood booster". This has also been scientifically proven as true due to the boost of dopamine in someone's mind when hearing tunes they like. According to a Tallahasse Memorial Healthcare article, this dopamine boost can improve breathing patterns and increase relaxation to someone's mind, allowing them to focus all the more (TMH). Overall, numerous studies prove that music is able to improve someone's ability to study and familiarize information with some of their favorite music.

Answer 6

A journal published by the University of Maryland noted that listening to music while studying can improve focus and reduce anxiety, supporting better academic performance. Instrumental and ambient music are ideal for studying as they avoid distractions from lyrics and create a calming atmosphere. Binaural beats, which involve two different sound frequencies, can enhance memory and concentration. Researchers noted how it's important to keep the volume at a moderate level to avoid music becoming a distraction. A study from graduate students at Texas A&M University skews the outcome a bit, saying that listening to music while studying can be distracting and hinder memory retention, as multitasking reduces the ability to focus on important information.

Answer 7

Studying while listening to music can help you retain information and stay more focused on the task at hand but depending on what kind of music you are listening to the affects will differ. In a study conducted by the University of Maryland's Global Campus studying while listening to ambient or classical music can help a lot. They further state that lower volumes help keep concentration more than higher. In another study conducted by Texas A&M the results were a little different, they found that the best way to study for an exam is to replicate the environment you will take the test in. Since you can't wear headphones during most exams they concluded that it might not be the most optimal way to study but acknowledged that peoples study habits can differ.

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

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

Answer 8

You did a great job showing that music’s effects depend on the type of task! I wonder, could it also depend on the type of music more than you discussed? Some research shows that even instrumental music with complex rhythms can be distracting if it’s too unpredictable. I’d love to see you dig a little deeper into whether the complexity or genre of the music matters as much as the learner's working memory capacity.

Answer 9

As a college student who always listens to music while studying or doing homework, I can back this up with experience. I find it a lot easier to focus on my work and my studying when there’s music playing. as with the article linked, it mentions that groovy or upbeat music can help focus which I can agree with like said due to experience.

Answer 10

To me this claim is both true and false. Is studying with music on a good way to help you learn. Although listening to music can help you learn and benefit you to keeping product your learning about in your brain, its also a big distractions. Study's show when listening to music while doing work can reduce your level of stress and anxiety if you pick the right song. Listening to music can also motivate you into wanting to do your work because a song can make you in a positive mood. It really depends on the person and there way of studying because everyone is different and learn different ways. But music playing while studying is also not helpful and doesn't positively help you, it can be a distraction to your thinking process and get make you get distracted by the words or even just trying to find a song. In the article i listed down below it says when you play the right kind of music while studying or doing work that it releases dopamine and the feel good neurotransmitter.

https://coppellstudentmedia.com/131890/lifestyle/studying-with-song-how-music-can-help-you-learn/#:~:text=For%20some%2C%20music%20can%20be%20an%20essential,stay%20focused%20on%20the%20task%20at%20hand.