Many people listen to music while studying or working. In VIE Tunes, scenes like "reading" and "working" are highlighted, and it's said that 40% of people listen to music while reading or writing, and 20% listen to music while memorizing.
Some believe that listening to music while completing tasks improves performance, while others find it distracting.
Therefore, I would like to introduce an experiment conducted at the University of Porto in Portugal in 2022, which investigated the impact of music on task performance among students.
※詳細：
Alessandra S. Souza, Luís Carlos Leal Barbosa(2023). Should We Turn off the Music? Music with Lyrics Interferes with Cognitive Tasks. PMC, 2024-6.
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Does music interfere with performance?
In this experiment, university students were asked to perform four tasks under three different conditions. The conditions were: "silence," "instrumental music," and "music with lyrics." The tasks included: "verbal memory task," "visual memory task," "reading comprehension," and "arithmetic."
Previous studies focusing on music during reading have shown that the presence of lyrics in music can have detrimental effects on performance. Additionally, there is evidence suggesting that individuals who prefer listening to music while studying tend to experience unconscious decreases in performance while in a musical state. One reason for the lack of awareness of this performance decline could be that tasks executed while listening to music feel more pleasant, leading individuals to remain unaware of the resulting consequences.
Task performance under three conditions: silence, music without lyrics, and music with lyrics.
Let's examine the results of performing four types of tasks across three different scenarios. Firstly, let's delve into the specifics of each condition. "Silence" in this experiment refers to execution in ambient noise typical of regular environments, with participants instructed to turn off their smartphones and TV. "Music without lyrics" entails the playing of Lo-Fi hip-hop music, known for its downtempo beats, popular among students for studying. Participants all listen to the same track while performing tasks. "Music with lyrics" involves popular music with Portuguese lyrics, the participants again performing tasks while listening to the same track.
Next, let's delve into the details of the tasks. Participants will engage in four tasks under three conditions: "Silence," "Music without lyrics," and "Music with lyrics" (4 tasks × 3 conditions = 12 trials). The "verbal memory task" involves displaying 20 words individually on the screen, after which participants estimate how many words they think they can recall and then proceed to fill in the blanks with the words they remember.
Similarly, the "Visual Recall Task" entails displaying 20 color images individually on the screen. Participants estimate how many images they believe they can recall, then proceed to select, via slider, grayscale images that match the color of the initially displayed images, aiming to match them with the original color.
For the "Reading Task," participants encounter 20 incomplete sentences with the final word missing. They select the missing word from multiple-choice options. After completing the 20 sentences, they estimate how many questions they think they can answer correctly out of the next set of 20 sentences and proceed to answer them in the same manner as the first set.
Finally, in the "Arithmetic," participants are presented with 20 simple arithmetic problems and choose the answers from five options. Similar to the "Reading Comprehension Task," after completing the first set of 20 questions, they estimate how many questions they think they can answer correctly out of the next set of 20 questions and proceed to answer them.
After completing these four tasks, participants respond to a brief survey covering the following items: "Task Difficulty," "Comparison of 'Music without lyrics' and 'Music with lyrics' to the 'Silence' session in terms of positive/negative impacts," "Familiarity with the played songs," and "Enjoyment of the songs." This survey is part of the experimental procedure.
The influence of “music with lyrics” on performance
In the "verbal memory task," it was observed that "Music with lyrics" resulted in a slight decrease in memory retention. Under the condition of "Music without lyrics," there appeared to be a slight decrease in memory retention as well, but no significant difference was observed compared to the "Silence" condition or the "Music with lyrics" condition.
In the "Visual Recall Task," both "Music without lyrics" and "Music with lyrics" resulted in negative outcomes in performance. Particularly, "Music with lyrics" showed a significant negative impact on performance, as evidenced by participants' awareness of its detrimental effects during and after the task. However, for "Music without lyrics," many participants reported in the post-task evaluation that it was beneficial for performance compared to the "Silence" condition.
In the "Reading," music conditions showed the only positive impact on performance. Particularly, "Music without lyrics" yielded better results compared to the "Silence" condition. Additionally, in the post-task evaluation, many participants recognized the positive impact of "Music without lyrics" on performance, and there was a tendency for participants to prefer the music itself compared to "Music with lyrics." However, the performance accuracy in this task was generally high, and there wasn't sufficient evidence to conclude that music significantly contributed to performance enhancement.
In the "Arithmetic," while there was no significant difference observed between "Music with lyrics" and "Silence," there was a slight tendency for performance to decrease under the "Music with lyrics" condition. When asked to predict their accuracy during the task, participants anticipated slightly lower performance under the "Music with lyrics" condition compared to the "Silence" condition. In the post-task evaluation, many participants reported that "Music without lyrics" did not affect their performance, but "Music with lyrics" had a negative impact on performance.
To maximize the effectiveness of VIE Tunes
From these results, it is evident that "Music with lyrics" significantly impairs both linguistic and visual memory compared to "Silence." Additionally, the Lo-Fi hip-hop music used in this study, which is often touted as beneficial for studying, did not yield significant results.
However, compared to "Music with lyrics," "Music without lyrics" showed higher performance outcomes and received better evaluations from participants in both actual performance results and subjective evaluations.
The actual performance outcomes indicated that "Silence" yielded the best results. However, what stands out is how the presence or absence of music can affect the enjoyment of tasks and lead to evaluations suggesting that participants may have been able to perform better.
These findings suggest that establishing a habit of starting study sessions with five minutes of warming up while listening to lyric-free Neuro Music could help elevate mood and facilitate the transition into study mode, especially during times when motivation is lacking. While it may not be as straightforward as music directly enhancing intelligence, using neuro music as a means to engage with tasks at one's best state can be incredibly helpful.
Moreover, as seen in the example of improved reading comprehension performance, there is potential for "Music without lyrics" to significantly benefit performance in simpler tasks. Therefore, I encourage you to explore through VIE Tunes to discover the best timing for Neuro Music to maximize its effectiveness in various tasks.