Background music and cognition. Background music effects on sustained attention and working memory. An empirical study

Abstract

Many people listen to music while performing tasks that require concentration, such as reading or studying, arguing it improves their performance. Although some studies suggest music benefits cognitive performance, the mechanisms are unclear. Listening to music evokes emotional responses, which may influence cognition. However, it's uncertain if music directly affects attention, improves memory through better attention, or the role of emotional responses. This study aims to determine if the emotional response to background music affects performance in attention and working memory tasks. A sample of 40 university students performed tasks including the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), N-back, and backward digit span. Half performed tasks with background music, the other half in silence. Participants completed the self-assessment manikin (SAM) test for valence and arousal before and after tasks. Results showed no significant differences between groups in any cognitive task. Moreover, music did not change participants' valence or arousal. It seems our music selection failed to induce the emotional responses necessary to modulate cognitive performance. Future research should explore how to effectively evoke emotional responses to music