What you listen to makes a difference: The impact of music on attention and well-being

Sounds constantly surround us, serving as sensory cues that help humans interpret the world and navigate the flood of stimuli they encounter. Research has shown that sounds and music can influence attentional performance; however, evidence on whether auditory stimuli can improve attention is limited. This study employed the attention network test to investigate how four types of sound—slow beat music, brown noise, fast beat music, and no sound—modulate visual attention. Moreover, we assessed the impact of auditory stimuli on physiological response (i.e., heart rate) and subjective experience. Results indicate that slow beat music has several positive effects: it enhances the efficiency of attentional orienting and the ability to focus on relevant targets while ignoring distractors, lowers heart rate, and increases subjective feelings of pleasure and relaxation. The benefits of slow beat music on attentional performance and psycho-physiological state suggest that it can be used to enhance focus, as well as reduce the risk of errors and stress in attention-demanding contexts.