Effects of Affectively Parameterized Music on Mood and Attention

Music is a fundamental aspect of human existence, permeating all societies and recognized as a highly engaging, enjoyable, and emotionally moving activity. While the positive influence of music on mood and well-being is well-established, its effects on cognitive functioning, particularly attention modulation, remain less understood. Given the common practice of engaging with music during mundane or unstimulating tasks, understanding how music influences attention is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different types of music on affect and attention. We conducted a comparative analysis involving three distinct commercial sources of music: Spiritune's WorkFlow playlist, Spotify's Deep Focus playlist, and Billboard's Hot 100. Additionally, an office noise control condition was utilized for comparison purposes. By examining the diverse effects of these music selections, we sought to unravel their influence on participants' emotional states and attention levels. Our findings indicate that only participants exposed to the WorkFlow music playlist experienced improvements in both affect and attention. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between the enhancement of affect and improved attention in the WorkFlow condition. These results are consistent with the Arousal-Mood theory, suggesting that music listening can augment executive functions exclusively when it effectively heightens arousal levels and fosters positive affect simultaneously. This study carries real-life significance, as it offers valuable insights into cost-effective strategies that can be employed by the general population to effectively regulate mood and cognitive functioning.