Is listening to music when studying a good idea or not? Is silence better? Loud or low? In headphones or diffused in the environment? And what kind?
Questions, questions, questions, the one about music when you study is a dilemma that has always gripped students… and it has gripped me too, who have been asking this question every single day for the past 4 years.
Today we finally give the definitive answer to all these questions!
I want to keep the article short and straight to the point, we’ll do this: first I’ll debunk a myth about music, then I’ll talk about the pros, followed by the cons. We will give a definitive answer to whether it is a good idea or not and we will close by understanding how to choose the perfect music to study.
The Myth to be Dissolved
Let’s start by clarifying one thing: no, music doesn’t make you smarter. You will have heard of the famous “Mozart effect”, for which children who are made to listen to the notes of the immortal master of classical music would become brighter as they grow up and some cognitive tasks would be “enhanced” by listening.
Nonsense. The series of experiments on this is plentiful everywhere so no, I’m sorry, you won’t suddenly get better at math by listening to Mozart or anyone else solving problems and equations.
Yet, you might say, some studies show that positive effects on concentration, memory, etc… linked to music can actually be found. How come?
The Pros
It’s actually very simple: the first and perhaps most important of the “pros” of listening to music when you study is that it can put you in a good mood. And being in a good mood can significantly increase cognitive performance in various areas.
As evidence of this, studies show that the positive effects of music on the study are also linked to the tastes of the listener. Listening to music we like is more effective than hearing something we hate.
In the end, it wasn’t Mozart who had special powers, it was our brains that, when in a good mood, work best. Simple and true.
Another positive effect of music during study or other stressful mental activities is that it can create a sort of “atmosphere” that supports concentration and promotes that immersive state of “flow” that we know is the real secret of productivity.
The third and last advantage is the covering up of more noise. If we are in a chaotic and noisy environment, therefore completely unsuitable for studying, music can help us to level the sound inputs, decrease the stimuli, calm everything, and allow us to perform equally.
Great, all fixed, the music helps, so turn up the volume, pump the speakers, and down some bad techno while studying administrative law…
Or not?
Better to listen to the negative effects too, before making a decision.
The Cons
Yes, because in fact, music can also act as a distracting agent, overloading our poor working memory which is already struggling to keep up with everything we are processing in our daily studying.
It risks being too much, especially when the music contains text, has too fast or variable rhythms, too strong a beat, too high volume, etc., etc.
The beats that are too aggressive or intense, the ones that, to be clear, give you that feeling of the explosive charge that you would like to go to fight with The Rock to show him what you’re made of.
Here, those, in reality, in the long run, if associated with the fatigue of the study, raising the levels of stress and anxiety.
Not only that, but if it is true that music can put us in a good mood, it is also true that it also has the power to bring it down, the mood. A sad song, a song linked to some memory of the past, a piece of music that makes us melancholic… we understand each other.
Finally, not everyone reacts in the same way, there are those who manage to transform, so to speak, the music into a sort of background white noise and those who, on the other hand, constantly pay attention to the changes in the melody.
The Definitive Answer
The definitive answer for everyone, therefore, does not exist. At the very least, it’s not always the same for everyone.
In general, however, we can say that silence is more suitable for studying in most cases and that, often, the benefits brought by music can also be obtained in other ways, such as listening to music before and after studying but not during, using tools to reduce ambient noise, etc.
In any case, the subjective aspect is extremely important, you can understand if it is a good idea or not in your specific case by addressing 4 points:
The first point is the simplest: does it put you in a good mood or not? Do you feel the need to turn on the music or do you often not even think about it? If it’s something you think about a little, that doesn’t come to mind on its own, that doesn’t have a lot of weight for you, it’s definitely better to do without it. For example, I much prefer absolute silence.
If, on the other hand, you constantly search for it, think about it, are used to it, etc., you can evaluate it. But also consider, as I said before, the possibility of listening to music before studying, to give you energy. In that case, you can indulge yourself and you do not have to follow any rules other than your personal taste, as soon as you feel ready to start, you immerse yourself in silence and transport your good mood into the study.
If you notice the changes in the music while you study, you notice that the track has changed, you anticipate the melody in your head, you feel like humming, you feel the rhythm and keep the beat then no, that’s not good, the music is in your working memory and is occupying space and attentional resources. Even if you like it, if it’s consuming resources the game is never worth the candle, trust me. Never confuse what pleases you with what is helping you in your study. Don’t make this mistake, it could cost you dearly.
Be honest with yourself, sacrifice some enjoyment, and go back to silence. And when you just want to listen to music then pay for essay and relax fully.
If, on the other hand, you perceive it only as a distant background, you barely hear it, you do not notice the details of the melody if not when you take a little break from what you are studying, then it can be fine.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have seen that music when studying is a good idea in a very limited number of cases: only for those who really feel they need it, only for those who really don’t distinguish it from some sort of distant background, only specific music and specific contexts.
For everything else and everyone else, good old silence will continue to be the studying’s best friend.
