Effect of Background Music on Concentration

¶ … Music There have been a number of recent studies investigating the effect of background music on concentration. These studies have focused on both attention and on workplace concentration. A Stanford study identifies that background music assists in stimulating attention (Baker, 2007). A study that examined the effects of music with lyrics and music without found that the latter is more effective for workplace concentration, as lyrics are more distracting and can have a negative impact on worker performance (Shih, Huang & Chiang, 2012).

Another study showed that the workers' fondness for the music was a key variable -- the type of music did not matter as long as the people liked it (Huang & Shih, 2011). Some studies have taken an ethnographic bent, with scholars investigating effects within their specific culture. This paper will further this research, investigating what differences there are, if any, in the response to background music and attention across different cultures. In a study of Taiwanese students, it was found that there is attention drainage.

The authors indicated that "music with higher intensity is more distracting," but tested hip hop, where the abundance of lyrics might be the cause for the distraction, rather than the intensity of the music itself (Tze & Chou, 2010). Need for Research The research on this subject is relatively thin. Only a few studies have been conducted, basically just enough to introduce some of the key issues, such as type of activity and type of music.

Given how many students listen to music while studying, and how many workplaces have music playing in the background, it would be valuable to learn more about this subject. Corporate entities in particular spend a lot of money seeking to improve productivity, yet often do not even consider what the influence of music or other background sounds might be on the productivity of their workers.

Since the existing body of knowledge is thin, there is a need for more studies to help both scholars and managers -- and students -- learn more about the cognitive effects of music on attention and concentration. Methodology The research will be a survey of attitudes found in students with respect to music and study. Questions will examine such issues as whether they prefer music when studying or not, if they feel that it helps or hinders concentration, and if those attitudes change with respect to the type of music.

One of the methodologies with respect to sampling is that students from different cultures will be included in the study, to see if there are differences between students from different national and ethnic backgrounds. Underlying the hypothesis is that students will have better attention when they like the music, but also when they are listening to music that has fewer words. For example, I would imagine that even among students who prefer studying while listening to hip hop that they might find it to be less effective for studying.

Exposition The first key case study is the one with respect to the role that music can play in concentration and attention (Baker, 2007). This study showed that students have better attention spans when they are listening to music. I am curious as to how prevalent this is, given that I know both students who always listen to music when studying, and some who never do. I would also look to the study that highlights that people do better when they like the music (Huang & Shih, 2011).

This is less relevant to the student context, however, because students will usually choose their own music, which by definition they like. It is only workers who maybe do not have control over what music they must listen to over the course of the work shift. The study that showed that music with lyrics has a negative impact on worker performance can be used for an exploration of the effects of music on studying (Shih, Huang and Chiang, 2012). Further, there is the question of attention drain.

The authors considered this related to intense music, but I felt that hip hop's lyrics, rather than intensity, were a key differentiating factor. However, as interesting as this study is, I feel that it will not play as big a role in my paper, as it can be the basis for its own paper, not in survey format but rather an empirical study on memory retention. Conclusion The studies that exist need more support.

I am unsure what percentage of students will express a preference for listening to music when studying, but it will be a decent number. I am more worried.