Document Type

Paper- Restricted to Campus Access

Publication Date

4-22-2021

Faculty Mentor

Rosa Abrahams

Abstract

The effects of background music while studying or performing a cognitive task is a contentious topic among researchers. There is some research that shows that listening to music before or while completing a cognitive task is beneficial, but other research suggests that music has a negative effect on cognitive performance, or no effect at all. Some research has shown that listening to enjoyable music before performing a cognitive task can lead to the release of beneficial hormones from the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, which can decrease anxiety levels and improve task performance (Schellenberg and Hallam, 2006). The main goal of this study is to determine if listening to enjoyable music before studying for a cognitive task can improve performance on the task later on. There has not been much research on the effects of listening to enjoyable music before studying for a quiz or exam. Therefore, this study is intended to research if there are any benefits to listening to enjoyable music before studying for a cognitive task, rather than listening to enjoyable music before performing the task itself.

Comments

Presented as part of the Ursinus College Celebration of Student Achievement (CoSA) held April 22, 2021.

The downloadable .mp4 video file is a poster presentation with audio commentary with a run time of 14:33.

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