Affiliations: Department of Business Administration, College of
Management, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | Department of Occupational Therapy, College of
Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | Department of Psychology, Municipal Wan Fang Hospital,
Xinzhuang City, Taiwan | College of Management, 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 9046743; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective: Background music is a common element in daily living and
the workplace. Determination of whether background music affects human work
concentration is a relevant concern. Studies have found background music
influences human behavior, and this study attempts to understand how background
music and listener fondness for types of music affects worker concentration. Methods: This study analyzes how different types of background music –
and how listeners' degree of preference for the background music – can affect
listener concentration in attention testing through Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT). Participants: Data were collected from 89 workers. The
participants ranged in age between 19 and 28 years old, with an average age of
24 years old. Results: We conclude background music influenced listener
attention. This influence has more to do with listener fondness for the music
than with type of music. Compared to situations without background music, the
likelihood of background music affecting test-taker attention performance is
likely to increase with the degree to which the test-taker likes or dislikes the music. Conclusions: It is important not to select music that workers
strongly like or dislike when making a selection of background music to avoid
negatively affecting worker concentration.
Keywords: Background music, work environment, worker concentration, attention performance
