Music plays a significant role in our daily lives, influencing our emotions and energy levels. Many people enjoy listening to music while working, studying, or exercising, but does it actually affect our concentration and heart rate? This question was the focus of a study conducted by Xinyi Hu.
Study Design
The study involved 10 Asian participants living in California, divided into two age groups: 16–30 years old and 30–50 years old. The participants listened to different types of music, including:
- Relaxing music without lyrics
- Exciting music with lyrics
After listening to the music, participants played an attention game called Opatus CPTA, where they tapped the screen whenever a specific symbol appeared. Key metrics such as:
- Reaction time
- Commission errors
- Omission errors
- Error rate
- Multi-taps
were recorded to measure their concentration. Additionally, participants’ heart rates were monitored using the InPulse app.
Results and Analysis
The data was analyzed using SPSS 27.0, and the results revealed:
- No significant correlation between the type of music and concentration or heart rate.
- A slight observation from the scatter plot suggested that exciting music might increase heart rate slightly compared to no music or relaxing music.
Limitations of the Study
Several factors limited the reliability of this research:
- Small sample size: With only 10 participants, the results lacked statistical power.
- Selection bias: Most participants were friends of the researcher, which may have introduced bias.
- Inadequate instructions: Participants received limited guidance on using the apps, potentially affecting data quality.
- Subjective definitions: Different perceptions of "relaxing" and "exciting" music among participants could have influenced results.
Suggestions for Future Research
To address these limitations, future studies should:
- Increase the sample size and include participants from diverse backgrounds.
- Consider more variables such as age, gender, and cultural preferences.
- Extend the duration of the experiment for more robust data.
- Use questionnaires to gather subjective feedback on participants’ emotional responses to different music types.
Conclusion
Although this study found no clear connection between music, concentration, and heart rate, it highlights areas for improvement in future research. Music's impact on human behavior remains a fascinating subject, and with better-designed experiments, we can deepen our understanding of how music truly affects us.
Key takeaway: While this study is inconclusive, it opens doors for exploring the nuanced relationship between music and our physiological and cognitive states.