Have you ever walked into the library and just looked around at the students? I bet you saw exactly what I did, that is a pair of headphones or ear buds on almost every person. I would not consider reading as one of my strong points so whenever I read I try to direct all of my attention to the project. I never really understood how someone could multi task like that and retain the information. Many studies have been done to see if it is better or worse to listen to music while reading.
Before we get into the studies that were done on reading and listening to music, we should know the science behind it. We use two different sides of our brain in order to distinguish the meaning of the words and also the tones. UCL has discovered that, “Words are then shunted over to the left temporal lobe [of our brain] for processing, while the melody is channeled to the right side of the brain, a region more stimulated by music.”(Widrith, 2013) This proves scientifically that reading while listening to music makes it more difficult to comprehend what the language actually means.
Students have said that it depends on what kind of music they have playing. Studies done by Clifford Nass, professor at Stanford University have proven this theory and he goes on saying “Music with lyrics is very likely to have a problematic effect when you’re writing or reading,”(USA Today, 2012) So unless every student in the library is listening to just the music of the songs or composers such as Beethoven, they are probably not comprehending most of what they are reading.
Another statement by many students was listening to music actually calms them down when reading. A lot of music today has very little calm soothing tones in the melody. With most music today being very up beat, it could raise or lower our heart rates and changing our moods. This can improve the way we take in what we are reading (relaxed and calm) or hinder it (energized and bothered).
Many people do not realize the effect music plays on us today. It is very powerful and easier to listen to with new technology. But being able to understand language efficiently seems more important, at least to me. Many books that people are reading (especially students) are some sorts of textbook. This information can be important, so why not put the music on pause and make sure you a learning the information thoroughly. It may make life a bit easier!
Citation
Should you listen to music while you study? (2012, September 10). Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://college.usatoday.com/2012/09/10/should-you-listen-to-music-while-you-study/
Widrith, L. (2013, March 21). The Psychology of Language: Which Words Matter the Most When We Talk. Retrieved April 20, 2015, from https://blog.bufferapp.com/which-words-matter-the-most-when-we-talk-the-psychology-of-language
I enjoyed reading your paper. I often find myself wondering the same question, “how can people read while listening to music?”. My significant other makes it look so easy. He can write a six-page paper on religion, while listening to Eminem. He even sings along to songs while reading or writing a paper and still receives good grades. I can barely stand the sound of my own breathing while reading, let alone listen to some rap music. When music is playing, I find it hard for myself to concentrate and zone the music out. I always find myself reading and then suddenly the music comes into tune and miscues my whole train of thought. Especially when I am reading books with plenty of definitions in it, I do find it difficult to comprehend them with music playing in the background, like you explained. It’s like the music blocks my brain from turning the definitions into memorable form.
A very interesting topic to be sure and one that seems to create much debate among our student peers. When asked the question, one is likely to respond with anecdotal data in support of their solution, but ultimately much of their argument is often unsubstantiated. Personally, I feel that I am unable to concentrate on reading unless there is some soft jazz tones moving through the air in the background. But what exactly does the data say about my hypothesis (and the conclusion of the article you cited)?
According to 2013 study, listening to no music produces optimal results (Dolegui, 2013). The premise of the study was an attempt to conclude if there was a difference in reading comprehension while listening to music. The study went further to try to determine if there was a difference in the volume and type of music. The study ultimately reached three conclusions. First, students performed better in complete silence than listening to music. Second, (not surprisingly) the study concluded that student performance was significantly worse in the presence of high intensity, loud music. However, the study also concluded that there was no correlation between the type of music played and the outcomes.
The data would seem to suggest that all of those students in the library who are glued to their headphones should take them off to raise their performance. However, the study did not include one important variable that was discussed previously in this thread. Given that our modern world is full of distractions which are nearly impossible to ignore, is it better to consciously engage one steady distraction in order to drown out the countless others?
Works Cited
Dolegui, A. S. (2013). “The Impact of Listening to Music on Cognitive Performance.” Student Pulse, 5(09). Retrieved from http://www.studentpulse.com/a?id=762
With finals coming up, my days were filled with studying, studying and more studying. For reasons that I can’t explain I am one of those people that likes to study at Starbucks. The other day Starbucks was busier than usual so I ended up taking my studying home. I had my ear phones on, listening to my favorite tune when my mom came over and asked me how I could concentrate on studying while listening to music. I try to explain to her that the music relaxes me and it doesn’t affect my concentration at all. But it didn’t make any sense to her. After reading your post, I began to wonder why I like to listen to music when I study and whether it affects me or not. I recently read a very interesting article. According to a recent study done at University of wales, a group of students undergone a series of recall testing when placed in different environments that included music that they like or dislikes and different type of noise distractions in the background . Results show that scores were a bit higher in quiet environment but also found that there were no significant difference between test scores with like music, disliked music and different background noises. (Doraiswamy) This means, it’s better to be in a quiet area but if one chooses to listens to music, it’s the same thing as if there were people talking in the background. Research from the University of Dayton found that students performed better at spatial and linguistic processing if Mozart was playing in the background. (Doraiswamy) So, the ability to concentrate may not come from whether one is listening to music or not but rather what kind of music they listen to.
Very interesting post! Ironically, I am a musician by profession who has tried to shy away from listening to music while I study. After reading the other replies, I’m almost curious to the effects of listening to music while I study. I’d say it is safe to assume that the choice of music would be instrumental in one’s approach, but, I can see how say classical, and my favorite traditional jazz could be soothing, allowing the brain to open up and allow comprehension to find its place. Again, I’ve never tried to study under these conditions, but I have tried to read with music playing in the background. Though I was reading, I didn’t quite feel as if I was grasping the storyline, and would find myself re reading the same passage over to make sure that I didn’t miss anything. But in cases mentioned above, sometimes distractions in this case music can act as a barrier from other things. Again, thank you for budding a spark of interest into a territory I’d dare not approach. After reading your post, I just may give it a try.
Hi Edward!
Thanks for your post about music and reading.
Like you, when I read, I need to focus entirely on the task at hand. I can’t believe that some people can study with the TV on or in a crowded café where snippets of conversation and the dull roar of kitchen machinery create such overwhelming cacophony!
I usually study and do schoolwork in the privacy of my home office or in the secluded study rooms at the public library near my house. However, a few weeks ago, on a Sunday, I had some available hours to study for an upcoming exam. In my area, the libraries are closed on Sundays and, on this particular day, my loud-talking, attention-seeking family just so happened to be at my house.
I chose to drive to a nearby coffee shop, thinking that anyone who was there would also be quietly engaged in solitary activities. What an incorrect assumption that turned out to be! The place was nearly full and there were several tables of young and, in my opinion, unnecessarily loud Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts. Knowing that I only had a babysitter booked for a couple of hours, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and sit down for a good ol’ fashioned study sesh. Before I had even gotten my chai latte, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate with all of the chatter and giggles. I knew I had to retain at least some information from the reading, otherwise I was bound to do poorly on the impending exam. Obviously since my preferred silent conditions weren’t attainable and the restaurant noise was unavoidable, I decided to put on some music to create a sort of “sonic bubble” for my academic work.
Initially, I put on my current favorite album, but I found myself barely resisting the urge to hum along and tap my toes. Clearly, Portugal. The Man’s “Evil Friends” was proving to be more of a distraction than I thought it would be. As you pointed out, it was most likely the lyrics in the songs that were throwing off my ability to comprehend the information I was reading. I did a Google search for “instrumental study music” and found a two hour long video on YouTube that featured classical music and noises from nature to optimize concentration and information retention. The calm and soothing tones were combined with repetitive noises that helped to channel and focus my mental energy.
I don’t know if it was the placebo effect at work, or if the material was less dense than previous chapters, but I did better on that exam than I had done on the first two in the class. Perhaps the music/reading combination really did help engage the left and right sides of my brain in such a way that I was able to memorize the information more efficiently than I would have been able to without the aid of music!
I can definitely relate to your post! I love listening to music when I study. I enjoyed reading about how music with lyrics has a different effect on the brain rather than music without lyrics. I feel that when I listen to music when I study, I need to listen to music that I’ve either heard a million times before, or classical music. That way I’m concentrating on my homework, rather than on the music. I also find that when I’m writing, I write better if I’m wearing headphones, blasting music. I feel more creative when I’m writing and listening to music.
On the other hand, when I’m reading for pleasure, or even for school, I find that music can be a bit distracting. I prefer to read in silence. One of the reasons I prefer to do homework while listening to music is because I live in a noisy household. Not everyone I live with is noise-conscious. I find that I listen in on conversations, which distract me from my work, more often than music distracting me from my work. I like to say, “I’m going in my own world now,” whenever I put on headphones because that way no one can distract me from my thoughts.