The Effect of Language Recognition in Music on Short-Term Memory Recall and Physiological Stress Response
File(s)
Date
2019Author
Novak, Rebecca
Moroni, Meghan
Des Jardins, Jacob
Vang, XiongMee
Matoska, Thomas
Keenan, Maura
Publisher
Journal of Advanced Student Sciences (JASS)
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Adolescent and young adult students frequently listen to music while studying. While there is
extensive research on the effects of music on memory, there is little evidence regarding whether style of
music or language recognition is associated with the physiological mechanisms driving memory recall
tasks. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of language recognition in music on
short-term memory performance and physiological variables. Participants in the study completed a word
search while listening to a song in English, a song performed in native South African dialects, or no music
at all. During the word search, heart rate, respiration rate, and skin conductance were recorded in order to
assess the physiological response of the participant and their stress response. Immediately after, the
participants was asked to recall as many words as they could from the word search as a way to measure
short-term memory. Results showed that listening to music in a non-native language has no effect on
short-term memory performance or the physiological stress response of the participants when compared to
the other two conditions. This suggests that foreign music may not act as a physiological stressor and
distraction during a cognitive task. Instead, foreign music may function more as white noise.
Subject
English
language
memory
music
retention
short-term
South African
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/81991Description
An article that appeared in JASS, issue 2019