THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT MUSIC GENRES ON

DISTRACTION
Betül Özdoğan, Kübra Yaltıraklı, Sultan Koç

ABSTRACT- Music is the kind of art that performance because there are many variables that play a
appeals to large audiences, and it's effects on human role including individual differences (e.g., personality, music
beings have been studied widely for many years. It has training, music preferences, and study habits), the type of
been reported that background music affects human cognitive task, the context, and the choice of background
behavior and attention. In this study, it is attempted to music in terms of its mood or pleasantness [3].
understand the effects of background music on attention
levels of individuals by making the participants read a Attention is the mental focus for processing a specific
text with or without background music which also varies phenomenon in the state of a current awareness. To be
by its genre (pop, rock, classical music). 48 participants described as attending, a person must be set to do something,
consisting of 28 females and 20 males between the ages be motivated to perform a task or to achieve some end [4]. It
from 18 to 30 were enrolled in the study. We observed has been demonstrated that environmental noise and
that none of the comparisons of the groups created by background music can affect attention and human behavior
using Independent-Samples T Test (which requires [5]. In a study that was conducted in 2004, participants that
comparing in pairs) shows a statistically significant listened to background music while reading were found to be
result. There was no statistical significance between the more interested in their reading material compared to those
number of the correct answers that were given to the who did not [6]. This result is contradicting with many other
story questions and type of music that participants research designs because the obligatory processing of music
listened to. Our results suggest that it would be possible may interfere directly with reading and overload working
to observe statistically significant results in the memory (both types of information are processed in the
comparison of pop and rock music if we had a larger phonological loop), especially if the reading task is difficult
sample size. Nevertheless, in this study, we demonstrated [3]. Attention performance was also lower when the
no significant results between genres of background background music had lyrics compared to when the music
music and its effects on human attention. did not have lyrics [7]. In one study of college students,
researchers varied the intensity and tempo of background
Key words: Music genres, distraction, attention. classical music during reading, after which participants
answered multiple-choice questions about the passage’s
INTRODUCTION content [8]. It has been demonstrated that reading
comprehension declined when the background music was
Music is the art of combining vocal or instrumental
difficult to ignore because of its fastness and loudness, in
sounds (or both) in a harmonic way. Currently, music
contrast to the background without music [8]. Nevertheless,
listening is one of the most popular leisure activities [1].
previous studies regarding the effects of background music
There have been many investigations focusing on how
on attention have mostly focused on either music genre or
background music affects individuals in different contexts.
music being with or without lyrics. Therefore our study
According to Uhrbrock, feelings of euphoria during periods
aimed to compare how all these three factors related to
of music stimulation have a physiological basis, which is
background music affect attention.
evidenced by changes in blood pressure that occur in some
participants while listening to music [2]. However, music in We investigated a study in which participants read a text
work settings can also affect work performance in an adverse with or without background music. Depending on the type of
way. Research results focusing on the effects of background the music (pop, rock, classical music), we expected to
music on cognitive performances may vary dramatically. observe different scores in the tests related to the text which
Schellenberg and Weiss reported that even for the same task, was read before. According to a study using “attention” as
background music can facilitate, impair, or have no effect on the research index concluded, listener attention was

1
influenced by background music perception when doing a B. Procedure
task [10]. By taking this result into account, we hypothesize
that participants who were exposed to rock music while We conducted this experiment as three people and we
reading scored worse on the test than the participants in the found participants randomly. In this experiment we wanted
other three conditions which are reading without background to learn the effects of music genres on distractibility. We
music, reading with classical music, reading with pop music. wanted participants to read a story we gave them while they
were listening to music. We used three genres of music;
I. METHODS rock, pop and classical. We also had a control group which
were listening to no music whilst reading the story. Then,
A. Participants participants answered 7 classical questions about the story.
When our experiment ended with participants we entered
In this experiment we chose people randomly between
the data on SPSS in order to have statistical analysis.
18-30 years old and we had 48 participants, consisting of 28
females and 20 male (n=48). The mean age is 22,58 and C. Materials
standard deviation is 2,5 as seen in Table 1. Only 7
participants were high school graduates, others were 4 materials have been given to the participants; these are
graduated from university or students of university. Also, 29 demographic form, 1 page long story, 7 classical questions
of participants are reading books regularly while 19 are not. about the story and Adult ADHD Questionnaire by Jasper
On the other hand, all of participants’s native languages are and Goldberg [9]. The demographic form given to the
Turkish. Participants whose native language was not Turkish participants includes; age, gender, education level, hearing
were eliminated. When we asked if they knew any foreign or reading problems, reading books regularly, music type
language, we found that 35 of them knew a foreign language that they usually listen to, native language and foreign
and 13 participants did not. languages they are able to speak. Since we wrote the one
page long story, the participants were not likely to have
heard the story before. Participants were asked to answer 7
N Missing Mean Std. classical questions asking specific information in the story
Valid Deviation such as the names or places in the story they read. We also
asked the experimental group participants if they had heard
the song we played before. Lastly, participants were asked
to fill out the Adult ADHD Questionnaire [9] which
AGE 48 0 22,58 2,508
includes 24 items that they need to rate among 0-5. The
scale includes sentences such as “I find it difficult to read
written material unless it is very interesting or very easy”
LEVEL OF 48 0 4,85 0,357 [9]. If the total score of the participant is above 70, it means
EDUCATION that the participant has a higher possibility of having
attention deficit.

D. Data Acquisation
READING 48 0 0,60 0,494
REGULARLY The experiment was performed at different time
intervals for all participants. The experiment was carried
out in hard copy for some of the participants and online for
some. Participants spent 10-15 minute on this experiment.
SONG 48 0 1,02 0,699
Firstly, we wanted our participants to answer general
questions about themselves in the demographic form. Then
we randomly separated participants into four groups who
ATTENTION 48 0 0,10 0,309 listened to rock, pop, classical music during the experiment
DEFICIT and no music for the control group. We wanted them to read
the story we gave in a quiet place while they listened to
Table 1: Frequencies music with headphones. Participants were allowed to read

2
the story only once. Later, they were asked to answer 7 the genres of music that the participants listened to. Our 4
questions about that story. Finally, they were asked to groups were compared with each other in pairs, but no
complete the Adult the ADHD Questionnaire by Jasper and statistical significance was found between any of them.
Goldberg [9]. We gave the Adult ADHD Questionnaire [9] However, when we look at the means of the compared
lastly because we did not want participants to focus with groups, it can be said that the difference between the means
more attention to the story. We excluded participants who of some groups is greater than that of others. For example,
have hearing and reading problems and whose native the mean scores of the group who listened to pop music is
language is not Turkish since the story was written in 3.92 while the mean score of the group who listened to rock
Turkish. The study is approved by the ethics committee of music is 4.92. Therefore, we can say that if we had a larger
PSY 471 Experimental Psychology lecture in Marmara sample size, the probability of our result for the comparison
University. Participation in the research was on a voluntary of pop and rock music being significant would increase.
basis and no awards were given to the participants. The mean score of the classical music group is 4.83 and it is
4.50 for the control group. So, even if the statistical analysis
II. RESULTS is not significant, it can be thought that pop music is more
distracting than other music genres by looking at the mean
In order to measure the relationship between the
scores. Even though we do not have enough evidence to
different genres of music the participants listened to and the
support that, the reason for this can be shown as the fact
number of correct answers to the story questions they gave,
that the pop music they listened to and the story they read at
we used the Independent-Samples T Test. We have 4 groups
the same time are both in Turkish while other songs are in
consisting of participants who listened to pop, rock,
English.
classical music and lastly a control group who did not listen
to any kind of music while reading the story given to them. Opposite of what we expected, the highest mean score is
Since Independent-Samples T Test requires comparing 2 rock music by 4.92. It means participants who have listened
groups at once, we compared our groups in twos. to rock music during the experiment answered correctly
almost 5 questions out of 7 about the story they read. On
In the first comparison, there was no significant
the other hand, depending on the studies that have been
difference in the scores for pop music compared to no
made so far, there are findings supporting the idea that
music conditions; t(22)= 0.802, p= 0.413. No statistically
classical music has an impact on reducing self-reported
significant difference found in the scores for pop music in
fatigue, sadness and tension [10]. Another study conducted
comparison with rock music conditions; t(22)= -1.41, p=
by Allen & Blascovich is suggesting that listening to
0.248. There was also no significant difference in the scores
classical music induces surgeons to have an improved
for pop music compared to classical music conditions;
performance [11]. So, even though rock music would not be
t(22)= -1.33, p= 0.166. There was no significant difference
associated with distraction since the statistical analysis
in the scores for rock music compared to no music
showed no significance, the effects of classical music on
conditions; t(22)= -0.678, p= 0.697. There was no
attention should be examined in future studies.
significant difference in the scores for rock music compared
to classical music conditions; t(22)= -0.147, p= 0.808. Future studies might search for the relationship between
Again, there was no significant difference in the scores for attention deficit and the languages of music and of the story.
classical music compared to no music conditions; t(22)= On the other hand, we assume that the statistical analysis
-0.561, p= 0.520. Lastly, it has been analyzed if there is a would be significant if we had a larger group of participants
correlation between attention deficit and the number of true since other similar studies have found a significant
answers given to the story questions. No significant points correlation between background music and focusing a task.
were found in the scores for possibility of attention deficit Huang and Shih suggest that test takers exposed to
in comparison to the number of true answers; t(46)= -1.913, background music tend to score lower than those without
p=0.062. such exposure [12]. So, it might conclude that the small
number of participants is our biggest limitation in this study.
III. DISCUSSION

There is no statistical significance found between the

number of correct answers given to the story questions and

3
 IV. CONCLUSION Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45(3),
231-238.
In this study, we investigated the relationship between https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2004.00399.x
different music genres -pop, rock, and classical- and
attention. Although rock music is hypothesized to have [7] Shih, Y. N., Huang, R. H., & Chiang, H. Y. (2012).
more distracting effects than other music genres, no Background music: Effects on attention
statistically significant result was found according to the performance. Work, 42(4), 573-578.
collected data. As a result, no significant relationship was doi:10.3233/wor-2012-1410
found in this study between different music genres and
distraction. However, further analysis with a larger sample [8] Thompson, W. F., Schellenberg, E. G., & Letnic,
size is needed in order to increase statistical power and A. K. (2012). Fast and loud background music
validate the results found. disrupts reading comprehension. Psychology of
Music, 40(6), 700-708.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0305735611400173

We would like to thank our participants, Marmara [9] Jasper L, Goldberg I (1993) Jasper/Goldberg adult
University and our PSY 471 Experimental Psychology ADD questionnaire. Retrieved 24 Jan 2022, from
lecture instructor Özge Yılmaz, for their contributions. Jasper/Goldberg Adult ADHD Questionnaire -
ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
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