South Florida Arts & Counseling
Influence of music on concentration and other aspects of life
Since time immemorial, music has been used in the field of psychology as a technique to optimize a very important factor: people's concentration, which has had remarkable results.
According to several authors, concentration is a cognitive activity that takes place through reasoning, where we voluntarily focus our attention on something in particular. This is a process where the person chooses a certain stimulus among many, coming from the environment where he/she operates. The truth is that the higher the degree of concentration, the more efficient an individual can achieve. This is an aspect on which countless tests have been developed over the years through the implementation of methods and the development of various activities, one of which is the use of audiovisual materials to achieve relaxation and tranquility.
Even though music is socially appreciated as a form of entertainment, many believe that it can disrupt concentration and cause distractions. Others, on the other hand, believe that it positively influences the mood to carry out tasks. However, it is valid to clarify that its benefits for both concentration and learning have been scientifically justified.
Actually, these benefits extend to different aspects such as the elimination of tensions, the evocation of traumatic circumstances, the awareness of turbulent or subconscious feelings and the improvement of memory, for which it has been used in patients with Alzheimer's in order to that they remember people or events in their life, hence it has an obvious influence on mental health. According to current studies on the application of music, it has also been known that many surgeons use it when performing their operations, in order to concentrate and block out distractions. This is feasible because the processing of music and the performance of manual actions do not compete at the brain level, although it is important to know how to choose the type of melody to listen to. For example, music with ambient effects used while writing creatively develops the capacity for imagination, thus resulting in richer texts and a larger vocabulary.
In addition, it has been shown that the influence of music reaches all kinds of people, which is why it has been used mostly in children to stimulate their cognitive ability and emotional development, especially if they are in the early stages of life. causing a special effect on socialization, interest in reading and its comprehension, decreased anxiety, patience in the face of frustration, free expression, assimilation of language, etc.
Likewise, several specialists agree that music can effectively stimulate attention processes in children, favoring sustained attention, selective attention, alternating attention, divided attention, short- and long-term memory, psychomotricity and improvement of self-concept, etc.
According to other research, it has also been determined that those who have musical training develop their verbal memory much better, being able to better understand a second language and have optimal executive functions.
Classical music, for example, has had a considerable influence on the progress of both cognitive and emotional skills and learning. It has also been proven that children who listen to this type of music learn to easily notice the different nuances in moods, resulting in a benefit for social relationships.
Other benefits of classical music at an early age are the acquisition of emotional security; the greatest ability to solve problems; the stimulation of creativity and imagination, among others.
In summary, there are innumerable reasons why music plays an important role in stimulating people throughout their lives.