listening to music while doing homework

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Does listening to music while studying help you do better on tests.

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Studying for finals or completing your end-of-semester projects? (Cue the opening of Spotify’s “Ultimate Study Music Playlist” on devices everywhere.) Many students attest to the power of music to elevate their academic performance, according to a CampusWell survey. “Music helps me calm down before a big test, focus better [while] studying, and cut out distractions,” says Kali G., an online student at the University of Wyoming.

Music can lower stress levels and improve test performance

Music can stimulate our thinking and sustain our attention for some study tasks, research suggests. A 2020 study found that nursing students who listened to relaxing music while doing progressive muscle relaxation (a mindfulness technique) before a test performed better on their exams and had lower stress levels than students who did neither before the exam. In another study, students who attended a videotaped lecture with classical music playing in the background scored higher on a subsequent quiz than students who heard the lecture without music. The pauses between musical movements may help our brains focus and organize new information, according to a study in Neuron .

When music hinders learning

It doesn’t all sound good, though. In a small study published in Frontiers in Psychology in 2017, researchers found that students who listened to music while reading a text on the concept of time zones scored poorly on a test compared with those who studied in silence.

So does music help or hinder learning? “It often depends on the individual and what works best for them,” says Stephen Williams, coordinator for the music therapy program at Capilano University in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “For most people, relaxing music in the background can help create an atmosphere that is supportive of studying. Others, who might find background music distracting, might use the music as a reward or a break from studying.”

Even if you do well with background music while studying, be wary of lyrics, drama, a too-upbeat tempo, and high volume. Research has shown that fast, loud music reduces reading comprehension.

If you’re working on a creative task, try an ambient noise soundtrack. A small 2022 study asked undergraduates to list as many different uses they could think of for everyday items (first a water bottle, and then a hanger) within one minute. While coming up with ideas for the water bottle participants thought in silence, and for the hanger they listened to ambient café noise. Participants provided more suggestions and, when prompted for “original” ideas, were more creative when they had ambient noise in the background. You can find a few ambient noise options on YouTube or through apps like Coffitivity.

There is no one-size-fits-all music solution. The above suggestions are based on past research and studies—you may find they don’t fit with your study style, and that’s OK! Try out different playlists, genres, and songs to find the one that works best for you.

Students’ favorite study music

“I listen to all sorts of music when I’m studying, but it really depends on what type of studying I’m doing to help decide on a genre. It’s always good to listen to classical music when you’re trying to read textbooks or write important papers. Other times, you need music that will keep you pumped and [keep] you from falling asleep. Then I usually go for something upbeat.” —Jessica V., fourth-year student, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Colorado 

“Soundtracks, classical music, New Age, or light electronic music tend to suit me well for studying.” —Alec S., second-year graduate student, Colorado School of Mines, Golden

“I prefer music that fades into the background, like lo-fi hip-hop or white noise. Some light EDM [electronic dance music] may also work for some people.” —Jeremy B., first-year graduate student, University of Florida, Gainesville

“I usually listen to classical piano or mixes that incorporate binaural beats to help me focus.” —Gabrielle H., fourth-year student, University of California, Berkeley

“I like to listen to soundtracks, especially video game soundtracks. Their sound is designed to help you focus, and they can pep you up for a difficult assignment.” —Jacob W., first-year graduate student, Duke University Durham, North Carolina

“Instrumental music, always. I usually listen to lo-fi or the soundscapes/sleep music from the Headspace app. Lyrics or anything catchy and upbeat is way too distracting.” —Mariyam M., first-year student, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, British Columbia, Canada

“I listen to top 40/pop/upbeat music (but on a low volume). It helps me to stay awake and concentrate. I have ADHD, and I end up fidgeting or getting super distracted if there is no music.” —Alyssa D., second-year student, Mount Royal University, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Background noise that works for work: Coffitivity

Seven Spotify playlists to boost academic success: The Music Universe

Study Beats Playlist: University of Texas at Austin

Classical music live stream: WQXR

Should you study with music? The research-backed verdict: Med School Insiders

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Stephen Williams, program coordinator, music therapy, Capilano University, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Adams, B. E. (n.d.). The effect of background music on standardized math test performance in high school students. Young Scientist: High School Research Journal. http://youngscientistjournal.org/youngscientistjournal/article/the-effect-of-background-music-on-standardized-math-test-performance-in-high-school-students  

Ahmad, Y., Zainon, F., Ghazali, Z., Man, N., et al. (2017). The influence of music on memorization performance of mathematics students. Proceedings of the ICECRS, 1 (2), 99-107. https://doi.org/10.21070/picecrs.v1i2.1443  

Baker, M. (2007, August 1). Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds . Stanford Medicine News Center. https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html

CampusWell survey, January 2020.

Dosseville, F., Laborde, S., & Scelles, N. (2012). Music during lectures: Will students learn better? Learning and Individual Differences, 22 (2), 258–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2011.10.004

Engel, A. (2023, April 28). Studying for finals? Let classical music help. USC News, University of Southern California. https://news.usc.edu/71969/studying-for-finals-let-classical-music-help/

Forde, W., Schellenberg, G., & Letnic, A. K. (2011). Fast and loud background music disrupts reading comprehension. Psychology of Music, 40 (6), 700–708. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1177/0305735611400173

Gallego-Gómez, J. I., Balanza, S., Leal-Llopis, J., García-Méndez, J. A., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of music therapy and progressive muscle relaxation in reducing stress before exams and improving academic performance in nursing students: A randomized trial. Nurse Education Today, 84, 104217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2019.104217

Jubbal, K. (2023, July 6). Should you study with music? The research-backed verdict. Med School Insiders. https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/should-you-study-with-music/

Kandari, C., Raijas, P., Ahvenainen, M., Philips, A. K., et al. (2015). The effect of listening to music on human transcriptome. PeerJ. https://peerj.com/articles/830

Lehmann, J., & Seufert, T. (2017). The influence of background music on learning in the light of different theoretical perspectives and the role of working memory capacity. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1902 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01902

Mercer, M. (2021, March 10). Does listening to music really help you study? College of Arts & Sciences at Texas A&M University. https://liberalarts.tamu.edu/blog/2021/03/10/does-listening-to-music-really-help-you-study/  

Mones, P., & Massonnié, J. (2022). What can you do with a bottle and a hanger? Students with high cognitive flexibility give more ideas in the presence of ambient noise. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 46 , 101116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101116

Sridharan, D., Levitin, D. J., Chafe, C. H., Berger, J., et al. (2007). Neural dynamics of event segmentation in music: Converging evidence for dissociable ventral and dorsal networks. Neuron, 55 (3), 521–532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2007.07.003

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Does Listening to Music Really Help You Study?

Experts from the department of psychology explain whether or not music is a helpful study habit to use for midterms, finals, and other exams.

By Mia Mercer ‘23

Students have adopted several studying techniques to prepare for exams. Listening to music is one of them. However, listening to music may be more distracting than helpful for effective studying.

There’s no season quite like an exam season on a university campus. Students turn to varying vices to help improve their chance of getting a good grade. While some chug caffeine, others turn up the music as they hit the books.

Although listening to music can make studying more enjoyable, psychologists from the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences have found that this popular study habit is more distracting than beneficial. 

“ Multitasking is a fallacy; human beings are not capable of truly multitasking because attention is a limited resource, and you can only focus on so much without a cost,” cognitive psychologist Brian Anderson said. “So 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.” 

In basic terms of memory, Anderson explained that we do a better job of recalling information in the same conditions in which we learn the material. So when studying for an exam, it’s best to mimic the exam conditions. 

“If you have music going on in the background when you study, it’s going to be easier to recall that information if you also have music on in the background when you take the exam,” Anderson said. “However wearing headphones will almost certainly be a violation during most exams, so listening to music when you’re studying will make it harder to replicate that context when you’re taking an exam.” 

Even though experts suggest listening to music can hinder your ability to retain information while studying, some students choose to continue the practice. Steven Smith, cognitive neuroscientist for the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences , provided some suggestions for students who wish to continue this study habit. 

 “In general, words are distracting,” Smith shared. “So if you want to listen to music while you study, try to listen to something that does not have words, or if it does have words, hopefully, it’ll be in a language that you don’t understand at all, otherwise that’s going to distract from the stuff you’re trying to study.”

Smith also suggested listening to familiar background music, because it’s less distracting than something new or exciting. Additionally, Smith provided some principles that generally result in better exam results. 

“Make sure your studying is meaningful because comprehension gets you so much further than raw repetition,” Smith shared. “Also, you must test yourself, because it’s the only way you can learn the material; this is called the testing-effect. And finally, try to apply the spacing-effect, where you spread out your study sessions rather than cramming your studying all together, allowing for better memory of the material.”

Regardless of how students decide to study for exams, it’s important to remember that we all learn differently.

“There are individual differences between everyone,” Smith said. “Some people need a study place that is boring, predictable, and exactly the same so that they can concentrate, and others find it more beneficial to go to different places to study. It’s true that there are different personalities, so try and find what study habit works best for you.” 

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M usic is an indispensable part of our life and you will hardly meet a person who doesn’t like listening to it. Of course, it can be a music of different genres, with or without lyrics, modern or classical, but people enjoy listening to music and can combine a variety of activities with it.

Young generations are also fans of music and every second student has always his headphones. Students listen to music everywhere: on-the-go, in public transport, in the shower and even when they do their homework. However, the last habit is quite controversial as scientists have different opinions about the effect music produces on studying. Let’s analyze the viewpoints of different scholars and decide whether pros or cons of listening to music while you do your homework will outweigh.

How can music be beneficial?

It is not surprising to see different studies about the influence of music on learning and their results are sometimes opposite to each other. Some scientists claim that music can influence the brain work positively as well as provide a learner with some huge advantages including:

• Useful for creative and reflection activities The study done at John Hopkin’s University confirms the viewpoint that music can be a great boost in writing , brainstorming, project work, problem-solving activities. It can improve productivity as well as be a perfect solution for several minutes of rest to recharge for the next activity.

Negative impact of music on doing homework

At the same time, many students still call music a distraction. Why does it happen? The answer is simple, students speak about absolutely different styles of music.

It goes without saying that listening to the song with words you will be more likely to distract from studying by repeating the words of the singer. This fact was confirmed by the University of Phoenix where researchers have proved that lyrics activates language-processing centers of the brain and that results in a lack of concentration and difficulties to recall the memorized information .

The last fact was described in the book “ Educational Psychology ”. Context-dependent learning means that people will recall information better in the same environment how they were memorizing it. If it was a music background at home, there are few chances that this background will be at school too, so information recalling will suffer greatly as well.

One more apparent point is a huge difference in people’s learning styles. Some people will have a much better productivity studying in silence, the others chewing a burger and one more group watching a TV. Music can be beneficial only to some of the students as any sound can affect the performance of others negatively. Consequently, it is impossible to make the only right conclusion about the ultimate benefit or the toughest negative impact of music on student’s performance of the home assignment. The only conclusion is apparent: everything depends on the person and his study environment .

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The Effects of Music on a Student's Schoolwork

Today's teens find it hard to resist listening to music while doing homework. Those who choose to listen while they study could see grades dip as a result. Teens need to choose wisely if they decide to listen to music and study at the same time. Soothing music can help some students focus, while any choice of music can be a distraction for other students.

Many teens listen to music while they study. In fact, many juggle their listening and studying with other tasks such as emailing, instant messaging and watching television. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 53 percent of teens 12 to 17 do something else while studying. At 87 percent, listening to music was the most popular side activity for those who balanced studying with another activity. This generation of teens is growing up multitaskers, and the lure of computers, televisions and iPods is too great for today's teens to ignore even while doing homework.

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Distraction

Trying to do more than one thing at a time means you're not entirely focused on anything. A University of Toronto study found that fast, loud music hinders reading comprehension. The music agitates rather than focuses the studier, and researcher Glenn Schellenberg likened it to trying to learn while riding a roller coaster. A University College London study found that both introverted and extroverted undergraduate students performed worse on a reading comprehension test when pop music was played. A memory test for adult participants at the University of Wales met with similar results: Listening to music hampered the test takers.

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But not all music is bad for all students. Sometimes, soothing music or classical music can help a student focus. One British study claims listening to Mozart for 10 minutes produced a "Mozart effect" where test-takers' IQ scores went up 8 or 9 points. A Bulgarian psychologist employed the method of playing Baroque era music, which plays at a tempo of 60 beats per minute, to help students learn foreign languages. After the 30-day course, the average retention rate per student was 92 percent. Even four years later, when students had not reviewed the material, most remembered the foreign language lesson.

Individual Predispositions

The effect of music on students varies depending on the music and the student. The "Journal of Communication" studied whether listening to music affected eighth graders' homework performance. The results were inconclusive. The U.S. Department of Education has concluded that quiet background music can help some children focus, but tells parents to turn off loud music from CD players, radios and televisions when their children study. The potential for distraction is too great from these music sources, according to government experts.

• "Los Angeles Times": They All Do it While Studying
• "New York Times": Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction
• "USA Today": Should You Listen to Music When You Study?
• Applied Cognitive Psychology: Music While You Work; The Differential Distraction of Background Music on the Cognitive Test Performance of Introverts and Extraverts
• CNN Health: Music May Harm Your Studying, Study Says
• Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine: The Mozart Effect
• Cerebromente: Music and the Brain
• U.S. Department of Education: Helping Your Child With Homework

Rudy Miller has been writing professionally since 1996. Miller is a digital team leader for lehighvalleylive.com, a local news website and content provider to the Express-Times newspaper in Easton, Pa. Miller holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Miami.

March 3, 2020

Does Music Boost Your Cognitive Performance?

The answer depends on your personality

By Cindi May

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Music makes life better in so many ways. It elevates mood , reduces stress and eases pain . Music is heart-healthy , because it can lower blood pressure , reduce heart rate and decrease stress hormones in the blood. It also connects us with others and enhances social bonds . Music can even improve workout endurance and increase our enjoyment of challenging activities .

The fact that music can make a difficult task more tolerable may be why students often choose to listen to it while doing their homework or studying for exams. But is listening to music the smart choice for students who want to optimize their learning?

A new study by Manuel Gonzalez of Baruch College and John Aiello of Rutgers University suggests that for some students, listening to music is indeed a wise strategy, but for others, it is not. The effect of music on cognitive functioning appears not to be “one-size-fits-all” but to instead depend, in part, on your personality—specifically, on your need for external stimulation. People with a high requirement for such stimulation tend to get bored easily and to seek out external input. Those individuals often do worse , paradoxically, when listening to music while engaging in a mental task. People with a low need for external stimulation, on the other hand, tend to improve their mental performance with music.

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But other factors play a role as well. Gonzalez and Aiello took a fairly sophisticated approach to understanding the influence of music on intellectual performance, assessing not only listener personality but also manipulating the difficulty of the task and the complexity of the music. Whether students experience a perk or a penalty from music depends on the interplay of the personality of the learner, the mental task, and the music.

In the study, participants first completed the Boredom Proneness Scale , which is a personality test used to determine need for external stimulation. They then engaged in an easy cognitive task (searching for the letter A in lists of words) and a more challenging one (remembering word pairs). To control for practice and fatigue effects, half of the subjects completed the easy task first, while the other half completed the challenging one first. Participants finished both tasks under one of three sound conditions: (a) no music, (b) simple music or (c) complex music. All of the music was instrumental, and music complexity was manipulated by varying the number of instruments involved in the piece. Simple music included piano, strings and synthesizer, while complex music added drums and bass to the simple piece.

The data suggest that your decision to turn music on (or off) while studying should depend on your personality. For those with a high need of external stimulation, listening to music while learning is not wise, especially if the task is hard and/or the music is complex. On the simple task of finding A’s, such subjects’ scores for the music condition were the same (for simple music) or significantly worse (for complex music) than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, their performance was worse whenever music was played, regardless of whether it was simple or complex.

For those with a low need of external stimulation, however, listening to music is generally the optimal choice. On the simple task of findings A’s, such participants’ scores for the music condition were the same (for simple music) or dramatically better (for complex music) than those for the silent condition. On the complex task of learning word pairs, the participants showed a small but reliable benefit with both simple and complex music, relative to silence.

The results suggest that there are substantial individual differences in the impact of music on cognitive function, and thus recommendations regarding its presence in the classroom, study hall or work environment may need to be personalized. Students who are easily bored and who seek out stimulation should be wary of adding music to the mix, especially complex music that may capture attention and consume critical cognitive resources that are needed for successful task completion. On the other hand, students with a low need for stimulation may benefit significantly from the presence of music, especially when completing simple, mundane tasks.

Before students decide to slip in their earbuds, though, they should carefully consider both their musical selection and the nature of the task. All of the music used in the present study was instrumental, and lyrical music will likely be more complex. Complexity appears to increase arousal, and the Yerkes-Dodson law suggests that a moderate level of arousal produces optimal performance. When there is too little or too much arousal, performance drops. Thus, the benefits of music for those with a low need for external stimulation that were observed here could diminish or even disappear with the added complexity of lyrics.

Similarly, increases in the complexity of a cognitive task might also reduce or eliminate the benefit of music. Although the “complex” task used in this study (learning word pairs) was only moderately challenging, the increase in complexity, relative to the simple task, was enough to reduce music’s positive effect. With a highly challenging cognitive task (e.g., text comprehension or exam preparation), even those with a low need for external stimulation may fail to show such an effect with music.

With the right (low-need-for-stimulation) personality, the right (instrumental) music and the right (low-to-moderately-difficult) task, the presence of music may significantly improve cognitive functioning. Given the many other physical, emotional and psychological benefits of music, that subscription to Spotify just might pay for itself!

Cindi May is a professor of psychology at the College of Charleston. She explores avenues for improving cognitive function and outcomes in college students, older adults and individuals who are neurodiverse.