A British scientist has claimed that listening to songs by Miley Cyrus or Justin Timberlake while studying has a calming effect on the mind that aids logical thought.
Despite not being perhaps the most obvious choice of relaxing tracks, the clinical psychologist believes pop songs with 50 to 80 beats per minute allow the brain to learn and remember new facts more easily.
Dr Emma Gray, who specialises in cognitive behavioural therapy at The British CBT and Counselling Service in London, said emotive pop and rock songs including Katy Perry’s ‘Firework’ song can produce a heightened state of excitement that is likely to enhance creative performance in subjects such as English, Drama and Art.
She believes students who listen to classical music while they study, do better in maths exams, while listening to music while revising makes students smarter.
Dr Gray’s research, which was commissioned by music streaming service Spotify to investigate the effect music has on studying, found it is important to choose the right music for the topic a person is studying as it stimulates learning and can enhance concentration.
She said students who listen to classical music with 60 to 70 beats per minute while they study, score on average 12 per cent more in their Maths exams – the equivalent of climbing a whole grade.
This is because the melody and tone range in classical music, such as Beethoven’s Fur Elise, help students to study for longer and retain more information.
Dr Gray explained the left side of the brain is used to process factual information and solve problems, which are key skills in Science, Humanities and Languages.
The research found songs like ‘We Can’t Stop’ by Miley Cyrus or ‘Mirrors’ by Justin Timberlake fostered logical thoughts and helped students to learn and recall new facts.
Dr Gray said: ‘Music has a positive effect on the mind and listening to the right type of music can actually improve studying and learning.
‘Music can put you in a better frame of mind to learn – and indeed, students who listen to music can actually do better than those who don’t.
‘For logical subjects, like Maths, music should calm the mind and help concentration, whereas for creative subjects, the music should reflect the emotion that the student is trying to express.’
