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David Parsons

Professor Cauruso

3 June 2016

UWRT 1102

Synthesis Paper (Updated

How Can Music Influence One's Ability to Study?

!istenin" to #usi$ is thou"ht to %e a "reat too& for studyin" and &earnin" and there have ash%een

#anya nu#%erofstudies &oo'in" at different types of #usi$ and the ay #e#ory and re$a&& $an %e

inf&uen$ed %y the#) *ot a&& of these studies are atte#ptin" to #a'e the sa#e $&ai# and severa& of the#

$ontradi$t ea$h other ith their resu&ts) These parti$u&ar studies &oo' at #usi$ preferen$e+ &yri$a& vs

instru#enta&+ persona&ity type+ #usi$ intensity+ and %inaura& %eats) ,e$ause of the a#ount of varyin"

resu&ts+ there is so#e roo# for interpretation to e-p&ain these differen$es)and spe$u&ation $onsiderin"

#any different varia%&es)

.ne varia%&e that is very i#portant to $onsider is the /uestion of #usi$ preferen$e) Does

&istenin" to #usi$ that you enoy i#prove your perfor#an$e in $o"nitivede#andin" tas's Co"nitive

de#andin" tas's are tas's hi$h re/uire one to thin' $riti$a&&y+ #a'e $onne$tions+ and dra

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$on$&usions) s one ou&d assu#e+ it is i#portant to %e at the top of your "a#e+ #enta&&y+ to

appropriate&y $o#p&ete these $ha&&en"es) 4s your favorite #usi$ he&pin" you rea$h desired resu&ts

There are a fe studies that pertain to the topi$ of preferen$e and so#e interestin" resu&ts ere rea$hed

ith ea$h of these) The first study+ done at the University of Wa&es+ e-a#ined the a%i&ity to seria& re$a&&)

Seria& re$a&& is the a%i&ity to re$a&& a spe$ifi$ &ist of ite#s in order) 5a$h parti$ipant as "iven a &ist to

re$a&& in to $onditions one here the #usi$ is &i'ed and the other dis&i'ed (Perha#+7i8ard) fter

$o#p&etin" the e-a#ination+ the findin"s ere that the perfor#an$e for %oth instan$es did not $han"e

si"nifi$ant&y(Perha#+7i8ard) nother study+ a&so invo&vin" seria& re$a&&+ resu&tin" in the fa$t that

preferred "enre a$tua&&y perfor#ed orse on the re$a&& than ith dis&i'ed #usi$ (S#ith+ Carro&+ and

9orris) 4n order to e-p&ain hy+ there as spe$u&ation that preferred #usi$ $an resu&t in :e#otion and

#e#ories asso$iated ith the #usi$; This as thou"ht to sidetra$' parti$ipants fro# the tas' at hand

(S#ith+ Carro&+ and 9orris) Provin" this $han"e in the %rain+ another study in 201< usin" %rain

i#a"in" revea&ed that there indeed are $han"es in neura& $onne$tivity asso$iated ith e#otiona& and

#e#ory parts of the %rain(Wi&'ins et a&)) This $an e-p&ain hy preferred #usi$ $an %e distra$tin"

%e$ause it $an $ause so#eone to "et $au"ht up in their e#otions asso$iated ith past #e#ories and

e-perien$es+ $ausin" the# to "et sidetra$'ed instead of puttin" a&& their fo$us in the present #o#ent)

The resu&ts shou&d %e so#ethin" to %e aare of+ %e$ause &istenin" to preferred #usi$ hi&e studyin" is

definite&y not un$o##on))

s persona&ity differen$es in individua&s $an %e asso$iated ith variety in preferred &earnin"

environ#ents+ the data $o#parin" su$h differen$es shou&d %e $onsidered) =urnha# and ,rad&ey ere

$o&&ea"ues in the Depart#ent of Psy$ho&o"y at the University .f !ondon) They $ondu$ted a study on

:the effe$ts of pop #usi$ on introverts and e-traverts;(=urnha#+ ,rad&ey) They de$ided to study to

po&ar opposites in ter#s of persona&ity) The $o&&ea"ues a&so introdu$ed si&en$e into the e-peri#ent)

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Their resu&ts $on$&uded that :introverts ere #ost ne"ative&y affe$ted %y the #usi$+ and that introverts

a&so perfor#ed %etter under the si&en$e $ondition;(=urnha#+ ,rad&ey)So =urnha# and ,rad&ey are

sayin" that introverts %etter perfor# in si&en$e and e-troverts perfor# orse in si&en$e)This $an

perhaps %e e-p&ained %y the #enta& pro$esses of %oth persona&ities and environ#ent in hi$h ea$h

persona&ity thrives)4ntroverts usua&&y prefer to %e a&one or in a /uiet environ#ent+ hi&e e-troverts

nor#a&&y are #ore $o#forta%&e ith a #ore intera$tive environ#ent) 5-troverts a&so are #ore &i'e&y to

"et un$o#forta%&e or %ored in situations that invo&ve si&en$e so their #inds #ay onder and sho &ess

interest than an introvert in the sa#e $onte-t)

There has a&so %een spe$u&ation and infor#ation re"ardin" the differen$e of &yri$a& and

instru#enta& #usi$ hen perfor#in" $o"nitive&y) The University of Phoeni- has $ondu$ted so#e

resear$h pertainin" to #u&titas'in" and eviden$e su""ests that #usi$ ith &yri$s $an have si#i&ar

resu&ts hen $o#pared to #u&titas'in" in "enera&) :Doin" these to thin"s at on$e is $onsidered

#u&titas'in"+and resear$h has found that #u&titas'in" $an de$rease 4> %y ten points;(Ti$'e&&)

,asi$a&&y+ the effort the %rain puts into pro$essin" the to tas's i&& &oer $o"nitive perfor#an$e in the

pri#ary tas') professor at Stanford University+ C&ifford *aas+ shares his viepoint on #usi$ ith

&yri$s? :9usi$ ith &yri$s is very &i'e&y to have a pro%&e#ati$ effe$t in ter#s of ritin" or readin")

Pro%a%&y &ess of an effe$t on #ath+ if you@re not usin" the &an"ua"e pro$essin" parts of your

%rain;(Ti$'e&&)*aas is e-p&ainin" that usin" the &an"ua"e pro$essin" fun$tions of the %rain i&& &i'e&y

'eep so#eone preo$$upied rather than 'eepin" a&& their attention on readin" or ritin") So#ethin" that

doesn@t use &an"ua"e pro$essors su$h as #ath i&& &i'e&y not %e ne"ative&y effe$ted %y &yri$a& #usi$

%e$ause the %rain i&& %e a%&e to fo$us proper&y on one tas') 4nstru#enta& #usi$ has a&so shon so#e

interestin" resu&ts hen $o#pared to si&en$e) study at the Chi$a"o S$hoo& of Professiona&

Psy$ho&o"y+ as $ondu$ted to atte#pt to rep&i$ate the 9o8art effe$t+ hi$h is an in$rease in $o"nition

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