The Effects of Music on Reaction Time in Human Beings

In addition to testing both males and females, three different age groups including 16-18 year olds, 21-23 year olds and 47-49 year olds will be have their reaction times assessed. Incorporating a range of individuals from teenagers to middle aged people will allow inferences to be made regarding the effect that age has on reaction time. Across the experiments, two other aspects will be varied including using dominant or non-dominant hands

What kind of music do you like? Is it rock, country, rap, pop, or something else. We all have some sort of preference that we like, and we can thank our brain for that. With this paper I will tell you how our brain reacts to music and how it affects us.

In terms of validity, the testing undertaken measured exact reaction times with different stimuli present (independent variables), therefore testing exactly what was stated. There were numerous variables controlled, leaving little room for marginal error, however, minor factors may have been present, though not significant enough to impact results or make results invalid.

The general purpose of this experiment is to find out if music affects one’s performance when exercising either negatively or positively. To test this, one could use any number of test subjects, although the design of this experiment requires one to test two subjects; one male and one female. Each test subject will be tested twice without music and twice with music. This experiment calls for four trials per test subject. Two trials were performed without music, and two were performed with music.

Music is a big part of our lives. It can be defined as vocal or instrumental sounds, or both, combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. It is apparent that music can affect your mood and brain in many ways.

Now to explain the second effect which is Music affects the brain. Let me explain what i mean by that. Music activities many sections of the brains these explain the benefits from listing to music. Music enhances intelligence, learning, and IQ for example listening to music or playing an instrument enhances reading skills, Spatial-temporal reasoning, mathematical abilities, and emotional intelligence. Studies show that listening to music such as classical music while a baby is in the womb allows the baby to do better on test, this is called the Mozart Effect: it has been later proven that listening to any enjoyable music helps the listener do better on test, no matter the age.Studies also show music builds memory training, statistics show

It is often questioned whether listening to or not listening to music is more beneficial when completing tasks; examples of tasks include studying, completing work assignments and projects, reading, etc. This inquiry is significant because many individuals enjoy listening to music while engaging in other activities, but would probably not do so if they knew that it was counterproductive to their performance. When performing such tasks, a specific type of memory called working memory is utilized and is defined as immediate conscious processing (Ries, Hamilton, & Grossmann, 2010). This form of memory processing is relevant because it is often questioned whether music or no music is more conducive to immediate conscious processing, such as memorization.

Music has never been more accessible than it is today. It is constantly on television and the radio. Internet streaming has become the major outlet for music and the easiest way to listen to almost any song ever released. The top hits are written to be catchy and replayable. The producers focus on the appealing to the general public and its emotions. Music affects emotion, in positive and negative ways, with music theory, and with science.

Music has been around for thousands of years. It has been used for telling stories of history, religious and spiritual practices, and emotional expression. Music has continued to evolve throughout the years and is a part of everyday life. Furthermore, it affects the brain in many positive ways and activates certain areas of the brain that have a huge effect on emotions. The effect of music on the brain and emotions was recognized by some people a long time ago and that started the development of music therapy. Over time, there have been many trials and tests on the effects of music that have shown positive results on the mental and emotional health of people which formed into the development of music therapy and using music as a form of treatment.

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate the effect of discomfort on reaction time in humans, measured by dropping a ruler into a subject’s hand. Discomfort was caused by a bowl of ice.

The effect of music on the human brain may have much stronger powers than one might think. Music can directly improve brain functioning depending on the musical genre. Some studies show, music whether listening or playing, is able to improve the ability to process speech, evoke different emotions, stifle sound when concentrating, and help heal ill patients with cancer or memory disorders (Gholipour). Thats not all, also music can boost reaction time, bring back memories more clearly, and release dopamine in the human brain(Ellis). Scientist know this because of the findings in last few decades in which they have used modernized technology such as a positron emission tomography scanners to view a persons brain while listening to music and while playing it too.

Various studies have shown different effects of music on the brain and body. According to the results of a study published in Neuroscience Letters, listening to a piece of music interpreted as happy or sad can make a person perceive a neutral face as either happy or sad. PET scans have been performed on a variety of people, some scans focusing on a person’s brain activity while listening to a piece of music, and some scans focusing on a person’s brain activity while playing a musical instrument. In these scans, different parts of the brain were activated when the person listened to music. These parts of the brain, when the person played a musical instrument, lit up like fireworks, according to a TED-Ed video by Anita Collins. Numerous studies have also shown the effects of listening to upbeat music while exercising. According to an article in New York Times, listening to music while exercising distracts a person’s body from concentrating on the pain in exercise; therefore, without the distraction of pain, a person will have a better workout session.

Donald A. Hodges and Robin W. Wilkins, two professors of music education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro have done research and wrote about their findings as it relates to how and why music has an effect on the human brain, in an article entitled How and Why Does Music Move Us?: Answers from Psychology and Neuroscience. In the article they go over the technique used to examine the brain’s interconnectivity as people listen to music. This technique is called Network Science. They write, "Researchers have discovered which parts of the brain are active during a variety of musical tasks, such as listening to or performing brief excerpts. They have learned that everyone has the possibility of meaningful musical experiences and

An important topic in psychology for many decades now has been the influence of music on the cognitive processing of the brain. Cognitive processes include attention, memory, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Recent advances in technology have revealed that music has a heavy effect on the brain’s affective, cognitive, and motor components. Evidence has been found to support the idea that music can alter the topography of the brain which improves memory and strengthens the skill of understanding language. This fact is something many educators are beginning to take advantage of. Not only does music improve the aforementioned, it also allows for quick access and recovery of information

The human brain is said to be a very special and important organ in the human body, but what happens to it when it comes in contact with music. There are many studies on what music can do to the brain. There are negative and positive affects of music on the brain. The positive effects of music on the brain are numerous and expansive, with a heavy emphasis on focused concentration.