Music and driving game performance

Author(s): Hargreaves, D. J.

Journal/Book: Scand J Psychol. 1999; 40: PO Box 2959 Toyen, Journal Division Customer Service, N-0608 Oslo, Norway. Scandinavian University Press. 285-292.

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of the nature of music and a concurrent task on measures of task performance and musical preference. Subjects completed 5 laps of a computer motor racing game whilst listening to either arousing or relatively unarousing music in either the presence or absence of a backward-counting task. Both these manipulations affected performance on the game with arousing music and backward-counting leading to slower lap times than relatively unarousing music and the absence of the backward-counting task. Backward-counting led to lower liking for the music than did the absence of this task. These results support the idea that music and the concurrent task competed for a limited processing resource. The results also indicated that liking for the music was positively related to task performance, and in conjunction these findings seem to suggest a direct link between music and the listening context.

Note: Article North AC, Univ Leicester, Dept Psychol, Mus Res Grp, Univ Rd, Leicester LE1 7RH, Leics, ENGLAND

Keyword(s): music; driver behavior; arousal; performance; TASK-PERFORMANCE; BACKGROUND MUSIC; BEHAVIOR

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