| There are many people who like to listen to music | | | | If your goal is to increase your concentration then |
| while they work and I am certainly one of them. I | | | | music which has a constant, easy beat and light |
| find it helps me focus more on the task at hand. Of | | | | melodies are recommended. These are said to be |
| course I can imagine that there are people who listen | | | | good for those trying to study as they help you |
| to music because it helps them NOT to focus on | | | | pace your reading to aid focus and memorising. |
| their job. | | | | Baroque music is reported as an excellent example, |
| Whilst there may be many reasons for wishing to | | | | especially the works of Vivaldi, Bach and Handel. |
| listen to music in the workplace, can it really improve | | | | Rock music can have a similar effect. According to a |
| your productivity? | | | | report in the journal Neuroscience of Behavior and |
| We know that music can alter your mood. Films have | | | | Physiology, the Russian Academy of Sciences |
| been using musical scores for years to create the | | | | discovered that a person's ability to recognize visual |
| right mood for a scene. At times you hardly notice | | | | images, including letters and numbers, is faster when |
| the music at all but you are very receptive to the | | | | either rock or classical music is playing in the |
| mood being conveyed. So can we use music to put | | | | background. |
| us in a "productive" mood? | | | | If you are aiming to be more productive through |
| Research seems to support such a claim. For | | | | being more relaxed, then you may be interested to |
| example, a trial where 75 out of 256 workers at a | | | | learn that research has shown that music with an |
| large retail company were issued with personal | | | | upbeat rhythm can reduce stress hormone levels by |
| stereos to wear at work for four weeks showed a | | | | as much as 41%. |
| 10% increase in productivity for the headphone | | | | Some of the most publicised studies into whether |
| wearers. Other similar research conducted by | | | | listening to music increases productivity have centred |
| researchers at the University of Illinois found a 6.3% | | | | on what has been termed the "Mozart effect". The |
| increase when compared with the no music control | | | | term got its name after a study showed that college |
| group. | | | | students had performed better solving mathematical |
| So if we accept that music does increase | | | | problems when listening to classical music. The effect |
| productivity, does it matter what types of music we | | | | of listening to Mozart does not appear to be limited |
| listen to? Does all music have the same effect or are | | | | to humans either. Apparently cows will produce more |
| certain types better in certain circumstances? | | | | milk if Mozart is played. |