Background Music's Effects on Cognitive Functioning.
Music has the capabilities of changing actions, thinking patterns, and responses in the body. With the capacity to reduce stress, enhance IQ, and alter physical bodily properties, music has become a focal point in modern psychological research. However, these studies offer contradicting conclusions, particularly in the realm of music's effects on concentration in different academic categories.
Negative Effects on Reading Comprehension Tasks.
Studies have exemplified that background music has an overall negative effect on concentration levels during reading tests for both introverts and extraverts. While introverts" cognition is more disrupted by noise than extraverts", both still express harmful effects on focus when the surroundings are filled with music rather than in silence (A. Furnham & L, Strbac, 2002). This corresponds with the Eysenckian hypothesis, which states,.
Introverts and extroverts differ in the amount of externally derived stimulation that .
they require to create the optimum level of arousal. Introverts experience greater .
arousal in response to lower-intensity stimulation (because of their lower .
neurological threshold of arousal) than extraverts, which results in their satisfaction .
at much lower levels of stimulation. Furthermore, introverts experience an .
inhibition of excitation once arousal exceeds their optimal level, an therefore .
exhibit an active aversion to those conditions (A. Furnham & K. Allass, 1999, p. .
28-29).
Earlier research by L. Daoussis and S. J. McKelvie (1986) targeted the effects of self-selected versus predetermined music selections during reading comprehension tests. Extroverts preferred loud, fast tempo music while introverts favored the calmer selections. This can be attributed to an extravert's desire to raise naturally low arousal levels in order to increase cognitive function.
