Applied Cognitive Psychology, Appl. Cognit. Psychol. 25: 625–631 (2011)
Published online 21 July 2010 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/acp.1731
Can Preference for Background Music Mediate the Irrelevant Sound Effect?
NICK PERHAM* and JOANNE VIZARD
School of Psychology, University of Wales Institute Cardiff, Cardiff, UK
Summary: Research suggests that listening to background music prior to task performance increases cognitive processes, such as attention and memory, through the mechanism of increasing arousal and positive mood. However, music preference has not been explored with regard to a more common and realistic scenario of concurrent music and cognition, namely the ‘irrelevant sound effect’
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Early research into the impact of music on performance suggested that it was actually beneficial to production or simple repetitive tasks (Uhbrock, 1961). Later research in the early 1990s claimed that listening to music (Mozart) prior to task performance increased spatial abilities when compared to either sitting in silence or listening to relaxation instructions
(Rauscher, Shaw, & Ky, 1993). Dubbed the ‘Mozart effect’, it was widely reported by the media and subsequently led to a number of policy changes (see Schellenberg, 2005). However, attempts to replicate the effect failed and a meta-analysis led to the speculation that the Mozart effect was actually attributable to an increase in arousal (Chablis et al., 1999).
Since this time, a series of studies reveal that listening to
Mozart was in itself not alone in increasing performance. A
‘Schubert effect’ was also observed for those participants who preferred listening to his music and similarly those participants who preferred a narrated Stephen King story demonstrated a ‘Stephen King effect’ (Nantais & Schellenberg, 1999). Furthermore, when comparing the music of
Mozart with more contemporary music using children, a ‘Blur effect’ was observed again suggesting an effect of preference
(Schellenberg & Hallam, 2005).
The arousal and mood hypothesis proposes that listening to a liked piece of
Music can change mood, have stimulant or sedative effects, and after physiologic process such as heart rate and breathing.
Pinker’s metaphorical expression for music was “auditory cheesecake”, explaining that he considered this function “useless[as a biological adaptation]” (Pinker 1997, p.528). Perhaps avid listeners comfort feed their minds with acoustic cheesecake, but musical knowledge presents the impact of such sweetness goes far beyond just licking the spoon. Extracting Pinker’s perspective, this essay will discuss whether music is valuable in the survival of humans. Arguments will be derived from brain imaging findings to examine its biological predisposition, adaptionist view to seek out its evolutionary status and whether the environment is responsible for demoting music.
How does music impact a movie scene and what would happen if it was different music?
The key words used to locate the articles were: “music,” “pain relief, “palliative care,” and “music therapy and pain”. The literature was found through the ELSEVIER database, Google Scholar and PubMed. Articles were selected for review based on being published in the last 10 years and their accessibility via the UT library system. There were five articles that met the above-mentioned criteria. No major gaps in evidence between each study were observed.
This is a huge component for me. Music allows me to express myself. When I want to get pumped up and have lots of energy during my workout I’ll turn on rock and roll music real loud to get that extra burst of energy. I like to listen to music when I am down on myself. When I want to forget about all the stress in life and just have a great time I turn to music. Music can put me in a way better mood after a terrible day or a long day at school or work. People like music to remind them of events , especially the happiest times in life. Music can take you back to a time in your life and reminds you that everything comes to an end. Music has showed me that there are stages in your life and I can’t dread on the past, I just keep going and living life to the
The current study aimed to examine the effects of different types of music genres on the motor reaction rate response to a visual cue. We hypothesized a calming ambient genre song would create less distractibility and thus significantly produce faster motor reaction rates to a visual cue given by the examiner.
would like to learn more things about that, why does music affect some people's mood.
The importance of music in movies is highly regarded for manipulating the viewer’s emotions and helping them immerse into the story. Music is one of the prime elements in cinema. Without it a movie would feel dull and unexciting. There are three elements in a movie: one is acting, the second is picture, and the third one is music. It is a holy trinity; if incomplete, there would be a lack of sensation and excitement. Both acting and picture can stand independently from one another, but music is the one that makes the movie memorable.
So to what extent does music impact the cognitive processes of the human brain? First of all, cognitive processes are processes that involve knowledge and how people use their knowledge. They include matters such as attention, memory, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. All of these are very important for human behavior. Music, in particular, has been used to assist in cognition for many years; recent advances in medical technology have provided evidence confirming the effects of music on the brain’s affective, cognitive, and motor components (Jones, 2010). All things considered, it is apparent that music has a very strong and lasting effect on the cognitive processes of the human brain.
Cesario et al. (2013) points out that, “music is one of the few activities that exercise both sides of the brain” (p.142). That statement shows that music integration in a school setting allows students to acquire skills that positively affects their memory, teamwork, and many qualities that benefit their academic performance. Students put in effort to perform well and improve within this class since they eventually perform during events, such as, the school’s Christmas concert. With that said, Cesario et al. (2013) states, “music performance experience also stimulates the area of the brain responsible for memory, enhancing the student’s ability to retain information in all academic settings” (p.142). Which are also beneficial towards a student's
In recent years it’s become noticeable that students are using all different forms of music to help them while studying or doing homework. When listening to music one may notice how that person may tap their foot or drum their fingers, even though they appear to be focused on the task in front of them. The rhythm of the piece, whether it is fast or slow, causes the listener’s heartbeat to synch with it (How Music Affects Our Mood, 2014). The question however is which music to listen to. In some studies, test subjects show that the louder the music the more distracted the subjects became (Manthei, 2014). Doctor Emma Gray, a clinical psychologist in Britain, says, “If you choose the right music for the topic you are
It can be proven, through literary research and personal experiences, that music has a positive effect on learning and memory. It can be concluded that these positive effects have an impact on patients with Alzheimer’s, on the motor skills and auditory memory of mentally disabled children, on students attempting to remember subject manner that they are learning, and on the affectivity of advertisements. On a personal note, music has facilitated my ability to remember things, both positive and negative, a number of times. For example, in high school I memorized the days of the week in French by singing them along with a tune that was already familiar to me. I have also had multiple experiences in which I remember things that I do not want
Thesis: Music is a unique form of sound powerful enough to manipulate mood, feelings, and cognition.
The mind is greatly impacted by music by showing healthful changes (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Doctors now use music for their patients’ treatments in order to help them stay healthy (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Heart patients acquired the same benefits from listening to classical music for thirty minutes as they did from anti-anxiety medication (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Musical therapy has been used to help people with heart problems, which worked quite effectively. (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). People who have had migraines frequently, were trained to use music and relaxing procedures to reduce their headaches. Studies have also shown that music helps students with their intelligence levels (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). A majority of students had higher test scores than others because they listened to Mozart before their exam. People who listened to classical music for an hour and a half while revising manuscripts increased their accuracy by 21% (www.bellaonline.com/articles) (Mish 725.).
Music elicits an emotional and cognitive response in all who listen to it. It is powerful at the individual level because “it can induce multiple responses – physiological, movement, mood, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral” (Francis, 2008,