Posted by A lot of students prefer to listen to music while studying, whether they are revising materials or writing an essay. There is a popular idea that melody can help one become smarter, which originates from 1993 research conducted by Dr. Gordon Shaw. The theory was called the Mozart Effect and claimed that listening to Mozart can increase the IQ of the students. However, the theory has never been proven and further findings show little connection and evidence of such effect, the idea remains vivid among people.
Music can affect our mood and performance, yet, it is important to understand how it actually works and in what circumstances. That will hep you when you are busy studying, in case you didn’t already choose to ask help to essay writing services in order to get the best result with less effort.
Listening to Music Improves the Mood
There are two main critique factors when we talk about the Mozart Effect. First of all, the tasks that the students were asked to perform in original research are connected to only one type of intelligence. Secondly, the results have never been achieved a second time. It means that, despite the fact, that theory is very attractive, it is not correct.
On the other hand, the melody does impact peoples’ moods. It evokes emotions and listening to a nice tune can make us feel better. Even if you are listening to a sad song, it can improve your mood. And, overall, a better mood is good for performing tasks like studying.
The other essential influence of music is that it reduces the level of cortisol in a body. Melody can and will decrease the level of stress one is experiencing. It is especially important for students that tend to deal with lots of stress in college or university. Listening to music before a study session can make you feel better and less stressed, which will result in more efficient work on the task.
Taking this data into consideration, one might use it to make writing more pleasant and effective. For example, you can listen for half an hour for a favorite artist and then proceed with working on an essay. It will not make one smarter instantly, but it will boost the overall well-being and make one more focused on the assignment.
Memorization and Sound
The link between memory and music is also yet to be explored more sufficiently. However, several studies show how memorization is influenced by background sounds.
There is evidence that students that tried to memorize information while the sound was on, found it harder to remember it in circumstances of an exam or test, where there was no music. Overall, it is better to memorize information in the environment that is similar to the one, where you will try to revoke it in your brain.
Students that learn materials in quiet performed better. There was also a difference between listening to tunes with lyrics, without them, the music that is loved by a student and the melodies that student doesn’t like. This leads us to the next point.
The Type of Music Matters
There is a huge difference between studying while listening to songs with or without lyrics. When you are reading or writing while the lyrics are present, the brain has to multitask. The brain works on two sources of information at the same time – processing lyrics and working on writing or reading. It decreases the concentration and makes writing less effective.
However, the classic music or any other type without any lyrics doesn’t have such an effect. Some findings prove that it is beneficial for creative writing. So, if you are working on a creative writing project, a melody might help to boost imagination and set the mood. It is influential in terms of evoking emotions. However, while working on a science project it might be not so helpful and more distracting. After all, you can always benefit from compare and contrast essay writing service if the task is too overbearing.
The crucial factor is also personal preference and habits. If you have always studied with the music on, it is probably something that works for you. Some people do find it easier to concentrate with background sound.
In Summary
Music can help while writing in several ways – it reduces stress and anxiety, it makes the mood better, and it can boost imagination when working on a creative assignment. However, the type of tune impacts the efficiency of the study session; the songs with lyrics make us less effective while reading or writing. But listening to something without any words can be very helpful and soothing. After all, you do what works best for you because there is no universal recipe for every student.
Vasyl Kafidoff
Vasyl Kafidoff is a professional writer at WritingMetier. He is interested in education, modern techniques and the way technology shapes the academic process and makes students’ lives easier.
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