up:: Tags:: #🌱 # Tempo of music generally changes the speed at which we perform a task Generally, the faster the tempo of music we are listening to in the background, the faster we perform a given task. In contrast, the slower the tempo of music in the background, the slower we perform the given task. In one study by Connie Mayfield and colleagues ([[Effect of Music Tempo on Task Performance - Connie Mayfield, Sherry Moss, 1989]]), people who listened to background rock music completed more easy math problems in a set time than those that listened to heartbeat music or music from a control condition. Another study found that fast background music produced (presumably through elevated arousal) a significant increase in eating speed, without the subjects' awareness. [^1] So should we always listen to faster tempo music. No. This research only suggests we might be able to do mundane tasks faster not that we can magically do difficult cognitive tasks quicker with faster tempo music. Related: ___ # Resources [[Effect of Music Tempo on Task Performance - Connie Mayfield, Sherry Moss, 1989]] [[The Effects of Background Music on Primary School Pupils' Task Performance]] [^1]: [[Fast Music Causes Fast Drinking]]