MUSIC / 2021
Preferred music and task focus.
Participants reported more task-focused states with preferred music. Reaction-time performance did not improve significantly.
METHODWithin-participant laboratory experiment
SAMPLE40 students
EXPOSUREVigilance task · music versus silence
Task focus · silence54%
n = 40 · Mean proportion of thought-probe reports
Task focus · preferred music62%
n = 40 · Mean proportion of thought-probe reports
Mind wandering · silence27%
n = 40 · Mean proportion of thought-probe reports
Mind wandering · preferred music18%
n = 40 · Mean proportion of thought-probe reports
0%50%100%
These are published group means, not individual scores. This chart does not display uncertainty because confidence intervals for these means were not extracted. Kiss & Linnell (2021), Results, thought-probe response proportions
The limits matter.
Self-selected music and a specific laboratory task. Reported attentional state is different from objective performance.
A practical connection.
Choose music or silence according to the task. The published numbers do not measure DevPause’s soundtracks.
Set a focus sessionThe effect of preferred background music on task-focus in sustained attention
Kiss & Linnell · 2021 · Psychological Research
DOI 10.1007/s00426-020-01400-6
Source checked 2026-10-05. Numerical entries are extracted published summaries, not participant-level data. No product efficacy claim is made.