Do you think you’re more creative when there’s music playing in the background while you work? Think again. Psychologists in the UK and Sweden say the opposite is true.
The university researchers tested people’s ability to complete verbal tasks involving word combinations. During the tests, they heard three types of background music. One of these was music with foreign lyrics, while another was instrumental music without lyrics. In the third situation, the music had familiar lyrics.
In all three cases, background music had a negative effect on the task. “We found strong evidence of impaired performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions,” Dr Neil McLatchie of Lancaster University told ScienceDaily.com.
Performance improved when the music was turned off and the surroundings were quiet, or when the subjects were working in library conditions.