Can Distracting Noise Actually Help You Study Better?

Walk into any designated study space libraries, study halls, reading rooms and
youll find that they all have something in common: silence. Nice, quiet spaces are
supposed to better facilitate studying right?
Turns out, thats not necessarily the case.
In reality, people hotly contest this assertion. Some people say music improves
studying. Others like places like cafes with neutral ambient noise. However, there are
always some people who look for silence when choosing a study location. So whats the
truth? Does quiet or distracting noise help you study better?
The Ideal Noise Level for Studying

The Effect of Noise on the Brain While Studying

Many studies have been done to explore the relationship between what were listening
to and our productivity. The most popular question involves music: is it helpful or hurtful
while studying? The answer to that question isnt crystal clear either.
On the one hand, music has been shown to improve both the quality and quantity of
work output, especially when performing complex tasksIt seems that at this point,
science cant conclusively tell us whether or not listening to music helps us study better.

Other Types of Noise

What about other noises, though? According to some studies, silence really is golden
when tackling the most difficult tasks. When learning or analyzing highly complicated
material, our brains process information significantly more quickly without ambient
noise. The extra brainpower required to interpret the noise input increases the amount
of processing that your already overloaded brain has to deal with. When the ambient
noise is particularly loud or grating during difficult tasks, it can even have a negative
impact on your health, quickly raising your blood pressure and stress levels.
When doing routine or moderately difficult studying, low chatter and noise (such as the
ambient noise at a coffee shop or in the student center) can actually help your brain
filter material and spot the most important information more easily. When using tools
for adaptive flashcards (like the ones designed by Brainscape), such noise may even
allow you not to remember each individual piece of information better. Even more
interestingly, a moderate level of ambient noise actually is ideal for creative thinking.
Apparently, moderate noise increases processing difficulty, which in turn promotes
abstract processing. In other words, the extra work our brain has to do while processing
a problem or task in a relatively noisy environment gives us the extra push we need to
find more creative solutions.
Matching the Noise Level to the Task
Perhaps the question shouldnt be, Is noise good while studying? but rather How
much noise is ideal when completing this particular task?
When you are feeling overwhelmed by the workload, added stimuli of noise may not be
ideal. When you need an extra boost of creativity, music or background noise may help.
If you are getting bored by what you are studying, its a much more personal decision.
Noise may be the filter you need to focus or just one more distraction holding you back.
Its important to remember that music or people may simply be a helpful placebo to get
you working well. If you really enjoy the music or the atmosphere of your favorite coffee
shop, you are getting a boost in confidence and well-being, which ultimately have
the most significant effect on your performance.
In the end, the ideal noise level depends on the situation, and on your preferences.
While too much noise is always going to overload your system and impair studying find
yourself a nice quiet corner. Just remember, though, there are a lot of factors that will
play into whether or not it helps you study better.

low-level noise affects the body

Emotional learning, planning, reasoning and willpower are all functions of the prefrontal
cortex, an important feature of the brain's frontal lobe. Constant, low-level noise affects
the body in much the same way as other stressors and triggers the release of the
hormone cortisol. Under normal conditions, cortisol is vital in restoring stability in the
body after a traumatic experience, but too much cortisol negatively impacts prefrontal
cortex function. This means that disruptive background noise impairs the ability to make
decisions, think clearly and regulate social behavior. The prefrontal cortex also plays a
role in short-term memory, meaning that disruptive sound impacts learning and memory.
Stress from sound might also decrease dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, which
impacts higher brain function.

MUSIC AND LEARNING

However, it is possible that not all noise is detrimental to concentration and brain
function. Various studies find links between music, especially classical music, and
improved spatial-temporal reasoning skills. Sometimes called the Mozart Effect, several
experiments suggest that listening to classical music improves function in the regions of
the brain that are most useful in math-related subjects.