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

There’s really no way to give an exact answer on this as a lot of it comes down to how well you’re able to study in the given circumstance. Some people thrive in silence, and others with some background noise. If your choice in background noise is music according to a University of Maryland study, it is “Important to consider the complexity of structure and lyrics. If you listen to a song that has creative riffs, or a song where you know all the lyrics, it can pull your focus to the music and away from the information you’re studying.” Additionally they recommend instrumental or ambient music as its use would be to primarily “block out distractions” and help attentiveness. A lot of it does come down to preference, but certain types of musics could also be relaxing and aid in your mood while studying further improving your session if its not for the sole purpose of blocking out distractions. 

https://www.umgc.edu/blog/how-music-can-help-you-study?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 2

The statement of music allowing for better studying is true. There are a lot of benefits when it comes to having music when studying, some of these include enhancing focus, improving memory, and lowering stress. University of Maryland had an article regarding different types of music and how those all have different factors. They state that some beats allow for better focusing and memory for the brain.

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

Answer 3

I agree that music can help people study and that it does depend on the type of task you are doing and the kind of music the person decides to listen to. For example an article written by Theresa Schempp through the University of Maryland global campus, she cites a study from the National Center for Biotechnology at NIH  says that "listening to 15Hz binaural beats during a working memory task increased the response accuracy of the subjects by about three percent over five minutes. The study found that listening to 15Hz binaural beats can be used to successfully help with working memory performance." This study can help us understand that there are certain frequency that can be more beneficial for memory based studying over others. Another point that was made is that music can be distracting as much as it can be uplifting. A study from the University of Wollongong Australia says that reading comprehension decreases when people listen to music with lyrics. I think there needs to be more studies on this with a bigger sample size to really confirm the researcher because a lot of these are very much case by case findings. All in all I think music can help people study but at the same time others may find it too distracting.

Answer 4

This is an excellent claim and was very interesting to do some research on. Here's what I found out regarding the benefits of using music to improve study experience.

"The benefits of music have been recognized for centuries, with cultures around the world using the beat of drums or vocals to aid in relaxation or meditation. Music-based activities in early childhood education have proven to support self-regulation, cognitive and intellectual development, literacy, and language. No matter their age, students can continue to benefit from music to help their academic performance. "

This is an article from the University of Maryland, with huge supporting evidence of the many benefits that Music has on cognitive functions.

Answer 5

I was able to examine the claim that "studying with music can aid learning," made by Coppell Student Media (https://coppellstudentmedia.com/131890/lifestyle/studying-with-song-how-music-can-help-you-learn/). Coppell Student Media is a high school journalism outlet, not an academic or expert source, so while informative, it isn’t authoritative. Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests that music can stimulate the brain and improve mood, which may aid focus for some learners, but results vary by individual and task (https://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2020/05/07/benefits-of-music/). Other studies, such as those summarized by the American Psychological Association, indicate that music with lyrics can actually impair reading comprehension and memory tasks (https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/09/music). Overall, while music can help some students feel motivated, it’s not universally beneficial for learning and depends heavily on the type of task and music.

Answer 6

The idea that music helps you study sounds great—and sometimes it really does—but it’s not always that simple. According to an article from The Times, upbeat instrumental music (basically anything with a good groove) can actually boost your mood and help you work faster without making more mistakes. People in the study finished tasks 7% quicker and felt better overall, which the researchers linked to the music’s rhythm helping with focus and energy. It doesn't work for everyone though. Some research in Frontiers in Psychology found that background music affects people differently depending on how strong their working memory is. If you’ve got a high working memory capacity, music might actually help you understand and remember stuff better. But if you don’t, it could just get in the way. Honestly, it kind of comes down to what you’re doing—if it’s a chill assignment, music might make it more fun. But if it’s something that needs serious focus, silence might be the better move.

Answer 7

I think the sources you provided offered the conclusion I have also made. The effectiveness of music overall in helping individuals learn is very subjective. It will also vary as different assignments, work, etc., require different ranges of concentration, and the kind of music can also be a crucial factor. Many sources, when researching a little more about the topic, brought me to many sources stating that music doesn't help an individual learn better, most pointing out that it is hard for individuals to multitask, and music with lyrics is more often distracting than helpful. In the Texas A&M article, Brian Anderson, a cognitive psychologist, points to multitasking as the main reason not to listen to music while studying/learning. Overall, a very subjective claim about whether or not music will help individuals learn or not. 

Some sources that helped me through this process:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2024/12/19/should-i-listen-to-music-while-studying/76931192007/

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

Answer 8

The claim that music can aid learning, as presented in the Coppell Student Media article, is supported by scientific research but requires important qualifications. Music's effectiveness during study depends on several factors including the type of music and the nature of the task. A study published in Applied Cognitive Psychology (not "The Times") found that background music with a positive mood and higher arousal improved performance on creative tasks but not on tasks requiring focused attention. Research from the Journal of Music Therapy demonstrates that instrumental music typically causes less cognitive interference than lyrical music, supporting the article's recommendation about lyric-free studying. The article correctly notes music's mood-enhancing effects, as research in Nature Neuroscience confirms that pleasurable music triggers dopamine release. However, the article overstates music's universal benefits - a comprehensive meta-analysis in Educational Psychology Review found that background music generally impairs reading comprehension and memorization of text. Individual differences also matter significantly: research in PLOS ONE showed that extroverts typically perform better with background music compared to introverts. The memorization technique mentioned (using melodies as memory aids) is well-established in educational psychology as the "musical mnemonics effect," where information encoded with melody shows enhanced recall - this is one of the article's most scientifically sound claims.

Sources:

1. Kämpfe, J., et al. (2011). Background music as influence on the cognitive performance of extraverts and introverts. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25(4), 625-631. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.1692
2. Lehmann, J.A.M., & Seufert, T. (2017). The Influence of Background Music on Learning in the Light of Different Theoretical Perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1902. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01902/full
3. Salimpoor, V.N., et al. (2011). Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 257-262. https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2726
4. Wallace, W. T. (1994). Memory for music: Effect of melody on recall of text. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 20(6), 1471-1485. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-08641-001
5. Perham, N., & Currie, H. (2014). Does listening to preferred music improve reading comprehension performance? Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(2), 279-284. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.2994

Answer 9

Although Public Medical Central says that most music is negative for learning, the University of Maryland has stated that having background music playing while studying can help with focus. Both studies agree that complicated music can hinder the ability to focus on tasks and memorization. Many people find that studying with music make it less boring, creating a happier and longer study session. Overall, I would say that your claim is true, studying with music can help with learning. Just make sure that the music that is playing is simple and uplifting, creating a positive and easy to focus in work environment. 

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

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

Answer 10

While music and learning is difficult to research, the effect of music is based on the type of music and individual preference. Tests across the board show that instrumental and ambient music will improve focus by suppressing distraction, elevating mood, and engaging both hemispheres of the brain, which will enhance memory recall. However, the effect of music on learning is relative, task and cognitive style of listener dependent. For instance, individuals who possess higher working memory capacity may be more supported by background music than individuals with low capacity who cannot focus if music is introduced. Lastly, the nature of music—instrumental or upbeat, and loudness—strongly determines if it will benefit or not. The University of Maryland concluded a study of music and studying impacts by finding music can have positive impacts on how well students are performing academically in school work, namely improved concentration and staying focused. It is accurate some students use music as an effective study tool, but other students either like quiet or find that using music is a distraction. Therefore, it is worth all students experimenting at different settings under which they study and what to listen to discover what setting and sound best facilitate their learning.

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