The effect of listening to music on reading comprehension

Research has shown that listening to music while studying can have an impact on student\u27s ability to retain information. Students may score lower on reading comprehension tests when in a music listening condition as compared to studying in silence. This goes against the popular theory of a positive Mozart Effect on performance outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of different listening conditions on reading comprehension in college students. The current study utilized data from college students to offer insight into the effects of music. Results show that listening to vocal music while doing a reading comprehension task may be especially distracting to students. This study may help to identify effective study habits for students