RE-EXAMINING MUSIC LISTENING WHILE STUDYING: POSSIBLE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

Music listening while studying (MLwS) to modulate mood or enhance performance is ubiquitous. Two well-researched models seek to explain this phenomenon: the Arousal Mood Hypothesis, and the Cognitive Capacity Model. However, recent research highlights the importance of choice, preference, and music engagement (i.e., how music is used). Re-examining MLwS in an ecologically valid fashion, this study proposes music engagement as an underlying mechanism. First, different manners of habitual music listening are correlated with affective states, providing stronger rationale for exploring music engagement within the context of MLwS. Music and control condition participants did not differ on test score, positive affect gain, or negative affect decline. Within the music condition, quantitatively obtained Reason For Music Selection (RFMS) did not affect these three outcome variables. Qualitatively obtained RFMS did not affect positive affect gain and negative affect decline, but it affected test scores. Participants with the reason Related to Studying had higher test scores than the reason Not Related to Studying. This suggests music engagement, as an underlying mechanism, explains how MLwS relates to cognitive performance. This study enriches understandings of how to best utilize music through everyday usage and within MLwS - it is potentially foundational for extension to other applied contexts.