When the Beat Drops: How Tempo Variation Influences Attention and Working Memory

Abstract

Many studies have observed effects of background music on cognitive performance; however, there is a mixed consensus on what elements of music are responsible for causing these effects, specifically, which variables can lead to interference on working memory tasks. In this study, we sought to examine tempo and whether or not variations in the tempo of background music could predictably influence working memory performance via bottom-up attention capture. We conducted a study with 85 participants and tested their ability to complete an n-back task for working memory while listening to various instrumental drum beats. We compared participants’ performance across five conditions (silence, constant tempo, syncopated tempo, gradual tempo shifts, and time signature shifts) and found no significant differences between any of the conditions with respect to error rate or response time. An understanding of the psychological basis for why certain features of music cause some songs to feel more disruptive than others can inform us on how to evaluate our acoustic environment to minimize distraction and maximize productivity.