Listening to music whilst studying : a boost or a bother

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to delve into the individual’s personal opinion regarding the effects music has on them whilst they are studying. For some it may act as a booster and make studying easier, for others music may take on a distracting role and make studying tougher. My study had three principle goals. Firstly, to see whether listening to music is part of the individual’s study habits, secondly, to see whether listening to music whilst studying helps the person focus or acts as a distraction, and lastly, to see whether the music being listened to (whilst studying) is listened to attentively or is merely just background music. Only a small number of studies have focused on the effect of listening to music whilst studying, thus, this research is crucial simply due to the fact that psychological research on the topic I have chosen is lacking. Furthermore, most of the studies were quantitative in nature, whereas my study is qualitative, thus providing richer insight. The data was collected through 4 semi-structured in-depth interviews with University students aged 18-21, attending a course in my faculty, that is, of social wellbeing. The data was analysed using thematic analysis. The variety of the results reflected the various literature, and also provided knowledge about the factors that play into the scenario of listening to music whilst studying. As specified by the participants, listening to music as a study habit has several positive effects, namely increasing concentration levels and promoting relaxation. Moreover, the act of listening to music whilst studying, and the choice of music, are heavily based on content difficulty and examination style. More research in this field, especially focusing on mental processes, would produce more knowledge which might help researchers understand why some individuals find it a boost, and others, a bother.