Does Listening to Music Does Listening to Music Affect Task PerformanceAffect Task Performance

Tom SchaeperTom Schaeper

CECS 5610CECS 5610

04/29/200604/29/2006

BackgroundBackground

• Are the students in a self-paced Are the students in a self-paced learning environment benefitting learning environment benefitting from the music?from the music?

• Are they distracted by it?Are they distracted by it?

LiteratureLiterature

• Marc Prensky in Marc Prensky in Digital Native Digital Digital Native Digital Immigrant Immigrant indicates a need for multiple indicates a need for multiple inputs for the current generation.inputs for the current generation.

• Rauscher reports an increased cognitive Rauscher reports an increased cognitive ability when subjects listen to Mozart.ability when subjects listen to Mozart.

• Subsequent studies by Bridgett and Subsequent studies by Bridgett and Manthei do not reproduce the results Manthei do not reproduce the results reported by Rauscherreported by Rauscher

HypothesisHypothesis

• Students will perform less well on a Students will perform less well on a timed math test with music than timed math test with music than without.without.

Methods and ProceduresMethods and Procedures

• Population of at-risk students 16 to Population of at-risk students 16 to 2020

• Self-selectedSelf-selected

• Directed to website:Directed to website:

• http://math.com/students/practice/http://math.com/students/practice/arithmattack.htmarithmattack.htm

The WebsiteThe Website

Testing ProcedureTesting Procedure

• Each student to the test four times.Each student to the test four times.

• Tried to maximize the number of Tried to maximize the number of problems worked in 60 seconds.problems worked in 60 seconds.

• The fourth run was completed with The fourth run was completed with music.music.

• The third and fourth run were The third and fourth run were compared for significance.compared for significance.

• n=24n=24

Analysis of problems Analysis of problems attemptedattempted

• At p > .64 there is no significance to the At p > .64 there is no significance to the theory that music affects performance.theory that music affects performance.

Mean Std Dev T-stat Deg. Of Freedom

P-value

w/o Music 25.21 10.20 -.38 45 .64

With Music 26.25 8.90

Analysis of error rates.Analysis of error rates.

• At p > .43 there is still no At p > .43 there is still no significance to the error rate.significance to the error rate.

Mean Std Dev T-stat Deg. Of Freedom

P-value

w/o Music .71 .86 .17 45 .43

With Music .67 .82

Internal ValidityInternal Validity

• Further studies need to be conducted Further studies need to be conducted with a larger sample sizewith a larger sample size

• Control groupControl group

External ValidityExternal Validity

• A more academically successful A more academically successful populationpopulation

Education SignificanceEducation Significance

• Listening to music while doing Listening to music while doing homework does not appear to homework does not appear to distract significantly.distract significantly.

• Students listening to music aren’t Students listening to music aren’t engaged with their classmates.engaged with their classmates.