Background music disturbs concentration
A team led by psychologist Emma Threadgold from the British University of Central Lancashire investigated the question of whether background music increases concentration, creativity and motivation. With sobering results.
According to common clichés, background music is supposed to increase creativity. The team tested this theory in three experiments that focused on the influence on solving creative tasks. They confronted test subjects with songs with unfamiliar lyrics, with familiar lyrics and with pure instrumental music. All impaired performance compared with a control group that was not exposed to background music.
It was also shown that the negative effect is completely independent of whether the music arouses good feelings or whether the test subjects are used to solving tasks while listening to music in the background.
Original article:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/acp.3532
Linked photo credits: Burkard Vogt / pixelio.de
