The Effect of Background Music on Concentration and Memory
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background music has become a common part of everyday activities that require mental effort, particularly studying, reading, writing, and completing academic tasks. Many students listen to music while studying because they believe it improves concentration, creates a comfortable environment, reduces boredom, or increases motivation. However, research has shown that the effect of background music on cognitive performance is not universal and can depend on the characteristics of the task, music, and listener. [1] The present study investigates the effect of different background-music conditions on two important aspects of cognitive performance: concentration and memory. Three auditory conditions are examined: silence, instrumental music, and music with lyrics. The study aims to determine whether participants perform differently when completing cognitive tasks under these conditions and whether the presence of lyrics produces greater interference than instrumental music. Previous research has found that music with lyrics can interfere with several cognitive tasks, including tasks involving verbal and visual memory, reading comprehension, and arithmetic. [2] Research on attention has also reported negative effects associated with background music containing lyrics. [3]
Author: Yudhveer Phogat, Ruchi Gaur
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221504947
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