Affiliations: Department of Occupational Therapy, College of
Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | Graduate Institute of Business Administration, College
of Management, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | Department of Psychology, Municipal Wan Fang Hospital,
Taipei City, Taiwan | Graduate Institute of Management, College of
Management, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University,
Xinzhuang City, Taiwan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Yi-Nuo Shih, Department of
Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University. 510,
Zhongzheng Rd., Xinzhuang City, Taipei County 242, Taiwan. Tel.: +886 2
29053408; Fax: +886 2 29046743; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: It is a common phenomenon for office workers {to listen to music}
while executing daily routines at their desks. The aim of this study was to
investigate the correlation between work concentration level and background
music. This research would first follow examples in previous researches, and
then explore the influence of background music on participants' scores on
attention tests. We hope to gain a preliminary understanding of the possible
influence of background music on people's focus and concentration when doing
work. Thirty-two college students were separated into three controlled groups;
all were given the attention test. Group [a] listened to background music while
being tested for 10 minutes; group [b] had no background music at all; and
group [c] listened to the music for 10 minutes prior to the attention test. The
test was conducted in a "noise free" environment. The means and error rates
for each group were then calculated. The findings showed that, in comparison
with "no music at all", those who listened to music prior to testing obtained
higher scores in attentiveness (most probably a supplemental effect of the
music), whereas those who listened to music during attention test showed
extremely high level of variation in attention test scoring. Background music
does affect people's job-site behavior. In fact, all three test conditions –
no background music at all, background music before the work shift, and
background music during work – have affected worker performance on different
levels.
