What’s better for studying? Complete silence, or should you turn the music UP?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
So far, research has been mixed… but Lindsey Cooke and team from Edith Cowan University listened more closely!
They surveyed over two-hundred students on their music habits. Participants reported any mind wandering tendencies and completed a brief memory task.
The results? Playlists versus silence did NOT make a difference in students’ mind wandering or memory! BUT how much a student is tuned into their music makes all the difference!
Higher engagement resulted in greater perceived benefits for studying with music, and vice-versa.
So no right or wrong answer, just march to your own beat!
Cooke, L., Speelman, C., & Hollett, R. (2026). Music as a distraction during reading: Music listening habits of university students. Psychology of Music. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356261421209