Department of Health Sciences Faculty Articles
Title
The Effects of Background Music on Word Processed Writing
ISBN or ISSN
0747-5632
Volume
17
Issue
2
Publication Date / Copyright Date
3-2001
First Page
141
Last Page
148
Publisher
Pergamon Press
DOI Number
10.1016/S0747-5632(00)00043-1
Abstract
College students often listen to music while they use a computer. This experiment investigated whether background music disrupts their ability to word process fluently and effectively. Forty-five psychology undergraduates wrote brief expository essays. Background music significantly disrupted writing fluency (words generated per minute controlling for typing speed and including those words deleted before the final draft) even though no response to the music was required. Those with some musical training and high working memory span wrote better essays with longer sentences and were also more likely to pause at clause boundaries. Even unattended music places heavy demands on working memory and disrupts word processed writing.
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords
Word Processed Writing, Working Memory, Writing Fluency, Background Music
NSUWorks Citation
Ransdell, Sarah Ellen PhD and Gilroy, L., "The Effects of Background Music on Word Processed Writing" (2001). Department of Health Sciences Faculty Articles. 253.
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/hpd_hs_facarticles/253
