Impact of Background Music Genres on Students Concentration and Academic Performance

Computer Engineering

In contemporary education, it is common that students listen to music while studying or performing academic work. Nonetheless, whether background music has impacts on performance is still a matter of debate. This research examines the impact of various types of music on concentration and academic performance using self-reported information from 20 participants. Participants reported their music tastes, listening behaviour, and whether music had an influence on their attention and performance. Unlike lab studies with controlled conditions, this study recorded true behaviour—investigating genre (e.g., classical, lo-fi, pop, rock), volume, task type, and music familiarity. The findings indicate that instrumental music like classical and lo-fi is associated with enhanced concentration and performance. Conversely, lyrical genres such as pop and rock were found to be correlated with decreased concentration, particularly when reading and writing. These results underscore the subtle role of music in education. Genre, intensity, and individual study behaviours all condition how music affects academic performance. The study invites students and teachers to think carefully about sound environments and establishes avenues for future studies on customized learning environments.

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