So many of us like to listen to music while we work in a bid to stimulate and inspire us to better creativity. Some people prefer to work in silence, but many of us will have a playlist that we like to put on when we work. However, scientists have revealed that music could actually be stifling our creativity and harming our productivity - but is it true?

Scientists Believe Music Could Be Ruining Our Creativity

Personal Choice

Many people in rooms and offices throughout the country will attest to the fact that music helps them work. They don’t like sitting in silence, and they need sound to stimulate their brains and minds, and helping them work. Though studies do seem to suggest that those who work in silence find themselves more creative and productive. Dr. Neil Mclatchie decided to conduct experiments to test if this were true.

The Test

The main part of the test showed subjects being shown three separate words, and they then had to use a word that linked the three in some way. For instance, the words ‘horse,’ ‘fruit,’ and ‘tipping’ would be linked by the word ‘fly.’ The purpose of this test is to determine verbal creativity in people, and this test compared quiet conditions with music being played. Apparently, the test showed silence to be key when it came to the number of answers people produced.

Scientists Believe Music Could Be Ruining Our Creativity

Boosts The Mood

Subjects were also asked to assess their mood both before and after the experiment, to see if there were any changes. A lot of the subjects stated that their mood was improved through the use of music, but they still didn’t see an improvement in their performance when it came to the experiment. Strangely, it seemed as though library noise was actually the best and most effective sounds for productivity.

Of course, it is entirely possible that it is different depending on the person, and that music is better for some types of creativity, but not for others. There are also indicators that music can improve motivation and drive as well, so this is something to think about for the future.