Effects of music listening on creative cognition and semantic memory retrieval

Abstract

Listening to music can affect cognitive abilities and may impact creative cognition. This effect is believed to be caused by music’s impact on arousal and mood. However, this causal relationship has been understudied. Furthermore, the strength of semantic knowledge associations has also been linked to creativity and provides an alternative hypothesis for increases in creative cognition. The relationship between music, mood, semantic knowledge, and creative cognition is not well understood. The present study consisted of two experiments. The first examined the relationship between music listening and creative cognition, the second additionally sought to examine whether the effect of music on semantic memory and/or mood are mechanisms that promote creative cognition. In the first experiment, participants completed 15 items of the Remote Associates Test of Creativity after listening to hip-hop music, classical music, and babble. In addition to replicating the first experiment, the second also measured mood and semantic memory. In both experiments participants displayed greater creativity after listening to music. Semantic memory retrieval was enhanced after listening to music, but creative cognition and semantic memory were not significantly correlated with mood. The findings show parallel, positive effects on creative cognition, semantic retrieval, and mood when subjects listen to music.

The influence of “happy” and “sad” background music on complexity, accuracy, and fluency of second-language speaking

“…Studies on the effect of BM on language learning tasks, starting in the 1950s (e.g., Hall, 1952), have been based on a range of theoretical hypotheses and assumptions and have produced somewhat contradictory results. On one hand, much research has drawn on arousal theories such as the arousal-mood hypothesis and Yerkes–Dodson law, generally claiming that for BM to have a positive impact on learning tasks, it should evoke an appropriate mood and generate an enhanced and optimal arousal level in the task performer (Eskine et al, 2020; Thompson et al, 2011; Yerkes & Dodson, 1908). On the other hand, another group of studies has been predicated on information processing theories, such as the cognitive-capacity hypothesis and the role of working memory (WM; e.g., Salamé & Baddeley, 1989), with the concomitant assumption that there is a limited pool of cognitive resources for processing information.…”

Listening to music in the context of developing and encouraging creative thinking in upper elementary school students

“…Други аутори (Curnow & Turner, 1992;Adaman & Blaney, 1995;Eskine, Anderson, Sullivan & Golob, 2018) (Threadgold, Marsh, McLatchie & Ball, 2019) су приликом истраживања утицаја позадинске музике на креативност задали испитаницима осмосмерку, на основу резултата требало је касније да истраживачи измере ниво креативности. Експериментална група је решавала осмосмерку под дејством музике, док је контролна група радила задатак у тишини.…”

Görsel ve İşitsel Sanatlar Eğitimi Etkileşiminin Öğretmen Adaylarının Yaratıcı Düşünme Düzeylerine Etkisi

“…Bu nedenle farklı yaşlardaki bireylerin yaratıcılıklarının geliştirilmesi onlara duygu ve düşüncelerini yansıtma konusunda farklı olanaklar sunabilmektedir. Örneğin, 18-23 yaş arasındaki gençlerle yapılan bir çalışmada uzun süre eğitim almasalar bile yalnızca belirli bir süre müzik dinletilen bireylerin de yaratıcılık düzeylerinde artışlar gözlemlendiği tespit edilmiştir (Eskine, Anderson, Sullivan ve Golob, 2020).…”