Research shows that roughly 3/4 of all people play music while studying or learning. But is it helpful or detrimental? Does it create stress or lower it? Stress causes lots of physical disorders like migraines, elevated blood pressure, stomach problems, and other types of ailments. Music is unquestionably an emotional expression that can result in either positive or negative psychological or physiological changes to a person’s mind or body. Since emotional stress can adversely impact learning, the question becomes “can music minimize the stress that studying will cause?”
Studies have indicated that music can impact our mood and stress levels. Music is often used to aid in recovery caused by health problems and can reduce a person’s heart rate and hypertension levels, causing a benfit of relaxation. So initially it might appear that music will make studying and learning much less stressful, which in turn will enhance the ability to learn. However, whether or not it is true will depend on a few variables.
The truth is, the more complex the subject matter, the more likely it’s going to be that music disrupts the learning process. However, for subjects that are much less challenging, music will often supply psychological arousal that provides a beneficial learning experience.
Whether music influences learning negatively or positively also depends upon the sort of music being played as well as the temperament of the individual. Music that has a faster beat demands more focus, which can raise the pulse rate and blood pressure levels. On the flip side, music that has a much slower beat can decrease an individual’s pulse rate, which may result in a mental state that is way too relaxed for productive study.
Loud music will make it significantly more difficult to focus on learning. But when it’s really quiet a person might put forth a lot more effort into listening to the music, which will also cause concentration issues. Ideally, the volume level will be moderate, not too loud and not too soft. Music written in a major key is generally more happy and positive while music in a minor key is ordinarily more sad. For learning practices, it is recommended to enjoy music that’s in a major key at a medium volume and tempo, and in a major key.
Lyrics are another important aspect to consider, and perhaps the most detrimental facet of music. If someone is attempting to study or learn, while at the same time trying to listen to the words of the music, the same areas of the human brain are trying to do 2 things at the same time. Research indicates that students are most preoccupied when they listen to music they know the best.
One more issue concerns a person’s temperament. Introverts need a reduced amount of stimulation while extroverts need a greater amount. Extroverts frequently enjoy the added stimulation that music offers while an introvert’s concentration can be disrupted more easily.
As we pointed out, there are lots of factors that will determine if music will be disruptive or advantageous while learning or studying. The application of music is a personal thing, and what can be beneficial for one individual can be disruptive for another person. To find out if music is beneficial for you requires experimentation.
