The “Irrelevant Sound Effect”, is all about the way background sounds can interfere with our short-term memory.
A lot of people like to listen to music while they work. Previous research suggests this is probably not a bad thing. In lab studies, people who listen to music they like, generally perform better at mental tasks afterwards, an effect that’s been attributed to boosts in mood and arousal.
Continue reading… “Music we like is more distracting than music we don’t like”