The Reason for Silence While Working or Studying
The Mozart Effect suggests that listening to certain types of music can help with certain mental tasks . However, work or study should be done in silence. Some studies show that silence is the most important thing for solving certain cognitive tasks.
According to Atlantic, “For most types of brain work, anything other than quietness will reduce productivity.” They cite a number of studies, including this study from the University of Glasgow Caledonian . In it, the researchers asked subjects to perform a series of cognitive tasks with different types of background noise. They reported:
Forty participants completed five cognitive tasks: Immediate Recall, Free Play, Numeric and Delayed Play, and Stroop … Performance on all cognitive tasks decreased in the presence of background sound (music or noise) versus silence.
Some research does show that music can help with certain tasks, but those tasks usually do not require a lot of cognitive demand. One neuroscientist told Atlantic:
“Most neuroscientists spend their time drilling through the skull bone,” said Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of This Is Your Brain in Music . “In this case, it’s like a truck driver. If nothing goes wrong, the task itself is a bit boring and repetitive, so you need something to keep you mentally aroused. “
What’s more, if the music is fun (in other words, it has lyrics), it’s even worse for your concentration. Again, this depends on the task and your own mileage may vary. If music works for you, do what works. But the silence is worth trying. For more details, read the full Atlantic publication at the link below.
The best music for work? Silence | Atlantic Ocean