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

Listening to music can aid learning in several ways, but its effectiveness depends on factors like the type of music, the task at hand, and individual differences in cognitive processing. Music can help learning by enhancing mood and motivating you. Upbeat instrumental music can improve mood and mental agility, helping learners stay engaged. It boosts memory and cognitive function. Music activates both hemispheres of the brain, which can enhance memory retention and learning. It can improve focus, some studies suggest that background music can help with repetitive or low demand tasks, making studying more enjoyable. It also could reduce stress and anxiety, calming music can lower stress levels, which may improve concentration and information retention. This according too The California Research Network.

https://www.clrn.org/how-does-music-help-with-studying

Answer 2

This claim about music can aid learning, music can benefit people's motivation, boost concentration, improved memory and brain simulation. It can help reduce stress and promote with a positive mindset. Research suggests that being in a good mood can improve learning outcomes. According to a 2007 study, classic music, specifically can help your brain absorb new information more easily. "Music helps stimulate your brain, similar to the way exercise helps stimulate your body."

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

Answer 3

The claim that music can aid learning, as discussed in the Coppell Student Media article, is only partially supported by scientific research. Studies have shown that upbeat instrumental music can improve mood and enhance cognitive performance. It shows that it can help participants complete tasks more quickly without making as many mistakes. However, the effectiveness of music during study sessions depends heavily on multiple factors such as the difficulty of the task along with individual differences, preferences and differing memory capacity. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology indicates that while individuals with higher working memory capacity may benefit from background music, those with lower capacity tend to perform better in silence. However, while music can be helpful in some cases, it has not been proven to be universally beneficial for all learners or tasks.

Answer 4

This is true to an extent. According to Standford Medicine News Center states, "The research team showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory." which can defenitely help you learn better! But it is also important to know that everyone is different and some music may prevent you from learning. In a research article by Frontiers it says, "In sum, both the Mozart effect and the arousal-mood-hypothesis state that listening to background music can foster learning, while the arousal-mood-hypothesis also takes characteristics of the melody into account. A piece of music needs to be in the right tempo and mode to be able to evoke the appropriate arousal and mood in the learner." So overall, speicific types of music can help you learn.

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

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

Answer 5

I believe that music can aid some people in studying and create a positive environment, but it's also not for everyone and ultimately comes down to many factors. For me personally music tends to distract me from focusing on the work at hand. There are many scientific studies that explain the benefits music plays in a study session, for example National University wrote a piece stating that “For the best music to focus and study, choose tunes that keep you awake but won’t cause you to start shimmying and tapping to the beat.” This is usually my issue. I tend to get more into music than studying itself, showing that it comes down to factors such as type of music in order for it to be beneficial. This article also states from Dr. Masha Godkin, that “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory.” proving that scientifically it can help study habits. Another article from healthline states not only positives but also negatives, for instance they state a negative cause of studying with music is “If you already have a hard time manipulating multiple pieces of information, listening to music could make this process even more challenging.” demonstrating how music can lead to reducing working memory capacity. The original claim and argument presented is valid but is only partially backed up by scientific evidence making it a bit misleading. 

 

Can Music Help You Study and Focus? | National University

Music and Studying: Do They Go Together?

 

Answer 6

Bass on my own research, music can help o study when it’s not a distraction piece of music as they stats in the article, “ In the past, I’ve often tried to study with my favorite artist’s top hits playing in the background, but this only distracted me. The allure of singing along to the lyrics or pondering their meaning beat my motivation to study every time.

Realizing this, I began listening to instrumental music while studying instead. Upbeat, non-lyrical music allows me to stay driven without being distracted by words.” I think the main statement can be a bit misleading to the point that it references all music but it should be specified that it’s only non distracting music. 

I found another article that further proves this point from the research of other psychologists that state, “words are distracting”, and that if you want to multitask and listen to music while you study it should be non lyrical. For if one causes cognitive effort, “there will be a cost to how much information you can retain.”

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

Answer 7

The claim that music can help you learn is nly partially supported by scientific fact. As stated in the Coppell Student Media article, "listening to music engages specific areas of the brain responsible for attention and prediction", which they cited from stanford medicine. And however it is true that this in turn may help you to absorb more information, this depends on a variety of different factors. While listening to music has been scientifically proven to aid in studying, it very much depends on what music you listen to. Listening to your favorite song while trying to study might only end up distracting you instead of helping you. The claim that music can help you learn is exaggerated and might be misleading to some individuals if they don't do their own proper research. 

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 8

Both of the articles you reference immediately show the reader their claims, which is good since it allows readers to immediately see whether your sources actually support your argument or not. The author of the Times source is reputable and have published other works, adding strength to this claim, as well as the source itself being reputable and well-researched. The other source is a bit random, and does not uplift your claim since it is difficult to find information on this organization and the strength of their research. The Times source is very recent and relevant, but the Coppel Student Media source is outdated and may need to be replaced with a more recent article on the topic. Both articles are unbiased and their contents are informational, making them both useful to your argument. According to a different article by Healthline, music can have a lot of different impacts on how a person learns based on many different factors. Making such a specific claim about music and learning is misleading, since it is proven to be a case-by-case situation.

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-music-help-you-study