Research Hit: The Varying Impacts of Music at Work
A new study shows that mismatched music can have negative impacts in the workplace
Isn’t music motivating?
Well, yes, music can be motivating, it can boost mood, and it can improve memory, and learning amongst other things
So what is the problem with music at work?
Well, first of all different music can have different impacts on different people - so it is not music in general but is it the music you need at the moment? Add to this that many workplaces such as in shops, have constant background music that is targeted at customers (obviously meaning that there are a lot of employees with constant exposure to music that they haven’t selected).
And this is bad?
It can be according to Kathleen Keeler et al. of Ohio State University. They conducted two studies into music at work.
In the first 166 employees stated their preferences for the type of music they needed, by style, tempo, and volume. They then did a creative task while listening to different styles of playlists.
And what happened?
As you could expect, when the music was mismatched to their needs and preferences they reported:
Having difficulty blocking out the music
Feeling less positive emotion
Feeling more depleted
Oh that’s not good!
Indeed, and the second study surveyed employees at work who were exposed to music and questioned them three times a day on musical needs, the music they heard, their mood, cognitive depletion, and various actions at work.
The results were essentially the same as in the first study.
So music is good, but mismatched music is bad?
Yes, that is essentially the takeaway. But in the workplace where music is constantly playing, such as in retail premises, this can be an issue. Of note is that some people were more sensitive to this: so-called “non-screeners” who have difficulty filtering out background noise. Some of us are indeed better at dealing with background noise and music in the workplace.
But it is something businesses should pay attention to because it could be costing significant amounts in productivity not to mention contributing to mental health impacts for some.
Headphones for all of us then?
But not feasible for some in customer service - but good to note. And don’t forget that the positive benefits of music, at least for you personally while working at home or independently.
Reference
Kathleen R. Keeler, Harshad Puranik, Yue Wang, Jingfeng Yin.
In sync or out of tune? The effects of workplace music misfit on employees.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2025
DOI: 10.1037/apl0001278