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Does listening to music decrease the effectiveness of study?
Analytical report
Abstract: This experiment explores the relationship between the
effectiveness of listening to music as a study tool by comparing the accuracy of memorization for subjects that first perform memory tests
without music and then again while listening to music. This report examines specifically how music effects memorization, and how it
varies different subjects.
Maya Kelp AP Statistics
7th Period 5/29/13
2012-2013
Listening to music is a common practice while studying, although it is
usually unclear to students whether the practice helps them or hinders them in
their studies. A study by IOS Press found that in a controlled experiment with
college students, those who studied without music generally scored higher on
attentiveness tests than students who studied while listening to music, and the
scores on the attentiveness test varied more within the subjects that listened to
music while taking the test, showing that the practice of listening to music while
completing a task effected some students more than others. However, the
experiment described in this analytical report tests and compares the
performance of memorization tests on students who complete the tasks first
while not listening to music, and then again while attempting to memorize the
designated digits while listening to music. This experiment is meant to examine
the effectiveness of the study habit of listening to music, and if the results found
in original study for attentiveness hold true for memory. The null hypothesis will
be that the difference between the no-music memorization test score and the
listening-to-music memorization test score is zero, and the alternative hypothesis
will be that the difference between the no-music memorization test score and the
listening-to-music memorization test score is greater than zero, which would
indicate that the subjects scored higher not listening to music during the
memorization period of the test. (No: xd=0 and Na: xd>0).
For this experiment, a random sample of 20 seniors and juniors were
selected from the Academy for Global Studies (AGS) at Austin High School. To
create this random sample, a list of all upperclassmen in AGS was acquired and
20 students were selected using a random number generator. While this sample
was relatively convenient to conduct the experiment on, the subjects may not be
the best representatives of the population of students in general, considering that
the subjects are in a program (AGS) that has some differences from Austin High
in general and high school students in general, and the impact of music on the
effectiveness of memorization may differ in these subjects than for students in
general. Another reason the sampling population may not be the best
representative of the population is that only upperclassmen were sampled, and
there may be a difference in the effect of music on memorization for students of
varying ages.
The experiment was conducted by first producing two random strings of
numbers, both 15 digits long. All 15 digits for both strings were constructed using
a random number generator to assure that they were random. Both strings of
numbers used in the data collection can be found in Figure A of the appendix.
The first string of numbers was shown to subjects for thirty seconds with the
instructions to memorize as many of the digits as they could in the correct order.
This part of the experiment was performed without the test subject listening to
music, and with as little background noise as possible. After the thirty seconds of
memorization, the subjects were then asked to write down as many of the digits
they could without losing accuracy. Then, the experiment was performed again,
with the only differences being that there was music playing while the subjects
were attempting to memorize the digits, and the digits were different from before.
The song used for the experiment was “Send Me On My Way” by Rusted Root,
and this song was chosen because most of the students were at least familiar
with the song, which replicates the behavior of students listening to songs
familiar to them while studying, and the fact that the song is a mid-tempo pop-
rock song, which isn’t as polarizing as the effects of classical or rap music. Once
the data was collected, the subject’s scores were recorded and they signed off
that the correct score was recorded, which can be found in Figure B of the
appendix. The data in a table with sample means and sample standard
deviations for each variable, as well as the calculated differences, can be found
in Figure C of the appendix. The physical pages containing the subject’s written
responses can be found in Figure E of the appendix.
Using the data collected, a two-sample hypothesis test for means was
calculated. The data was dependent since each subject completed both of the
tests (without music and then with music), a paired t-test was used in the
calculations. The null hypothesis will be that the difference between the no-music
memorization test score and the listening-to-music memorization test score is
zero, and the alternative hypothesis will be that the difference between the no-
music memorization test score and the listening-to-music memorization test
score is greater than zero, which would indicate that the subjects scored higher
not listening to music during the memorization period of the test. (No: xd=0 and
Na: xd>0). A two-sample hypothesis test for means was the strongest way to
illustrate the effect of music on memorization, because it shows the difference of
scores on the different tests.
A two-sample hypothesis test for means was run, with the µd being the
population mean memory test score difference without music and with music.
The null hypothesis was that the difference between the no-music memorization
test score and the listening-to-music memorization test score is zero, and the
alternative hypothesis was that the difference between the no-music
memorization test score and the listening-to-music memorization test score is
greater than zero. (No: xd=0 and Na: xd>0). As for assumptions, the use of a
simple random sample was stated in the experimental process and was carried
out in the experiment, and samples were dependent, which signified a paired t-
test. Theta was unknown, so t was used. When a normal quantile plot was
constructed from the difference of the scores of the two tests, the NQP was
roughly linear, so an approximately normal distribution could be used. The
calculated t-value was 3.995, and therefore the p-value was 3.875x10-4, since the
degrees of freedom were 19 because of the rule of thumb that degrees of
freedom equals the number of samples minus one. An alpha value of .05 was
chosen because the nature of the experiment didn’t need a .01 value that
medical studies use, and it is also a standard value that appropriately helps in
analyzing the data. Since the p-value was less than alpha, the claim that the true
population mean difference in memory test score without music and with music
was 0 was rejected. Therefore, there was sufficient evidence to suggest that
music has an influence on memorization. Calculations for this hypothesis test can
be found in the appendix in Figure D.
Based on the result of the hypothesis test and the data that can be found
in Figure B of the appendix, it is apparent that for the most part, the practice of
listening to music while attempting to memorize hindered the subject’s memory
test results. The average memorization test score while listening to music was
approximately half the average memorization test score without music, showing
that the practice of listening to music hindered the effectiveness of memorization.
However, four of the subjects did perform better while memorizing the digits while
listening to music, and in those cases, even though they didn’t impact the
outcome of the hypothesis test, did reveal that in all four of the cases, the
subjects at least doubled their score while listening to music. This could reveal
that while for most students the practice of listening to music while studying
hinders their memorization skills, when it does in fact aid students, it greatly
helps them memorize.
This experiment also illustrates the mastery of all four conceptual themes
of statistics. First, the first theme of “exploring data” from the College Board
Advanced Placement website is shown in this experiment by describing the
findings from the hypothesis test and the data, as well as the explanation of
patterns in the data. Next, the second theme of “sampling and experimentation”
was satisfied by planning and conducting an experiment that effectively used an
appropriate sampling procedure and was organized in the undertaking of the
experiment. The third theme of “anticipating patterns” was illustrated by the
creation of an experiment that was carried out by the use of simple random
sampling, as well as the use of probability when calculating the appropriate
hypothesis test for analyzing the data. Finally, the last conceptual theme that this
experiment represents and demonstrates is the theme of “statistical inference”,
which was met by justifying the size of the simple random sample and identifying
and utilizing the appropriate hypothesis rest for analysis of data.
This experiment revealed that in general, there was sufficient evidence to
suggest that music has an influence on memorization. The results also revealed
that for most subjects the practice of listening to music hindered their
performance on memory tests, but in the cases where the subjects performed
higher while listening to music, it helped them at least double their scores. While
these subjects were few in number and didn’t have an impact on the results of
the hypothesis test, it does suggest that it is possible that in cases where
listening to music does help memory, it greatly improves performance.
WORKS CITED
Shih, Yi-Nuo, Rong-Hwa Huang, and Han-sun Chiang. "Correlation between Work Concentration Level and Background Music: A Pilot Study." Work: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation 33.3 (2009): n. pag. IOS Press. Web. 14 May 2013.
APPENDIX
Figure A
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835036347376641
Note: The top string of numbers was used to test for memorization without
music, and the second string was used to test for memorization with
music. A random number generator produced both strings of digits.
APPENDIX
Figure C
No Music Score (out of 15) Music Score (out of 15) No music score-music score 4 1 3 12 9 3 1 2 -1 11 4 7 9 8 1 11 2 9 15 11 4 3 7 -4 12 2 10 2 6 -4 3 1 2 12 1 11 9 3 6 13 3 10 6 3 3 4 1 3 15 8 7 15 1 14 2 4 -2 15 6 9 x̄=8.7 x̄=4.15 x̄=4.55 s=5.059 s=3.099 s=5.094