Penang Matriculation

College
Academic Writing
WB013
Semester 1 2016/2017
How Music Affects
Students life
Group Members
Muhammad Aqmar Fiqhi Bin Roslan
MS1613609464
Chong Sui Huat
Khadijah binti Khairudin
MS1613609708

MS1613673397

Nur Atiqah Binti Mohamad Rapi

MS1613607672
Mohamad Adib Hilman Bin Mohd Zin
MS1613607592
Lecturer: Miss Wahidah Binti Majid

BACKGROUND OF STUDY OF MUSIC

Many KMPP students listen to music to alleviate the emotional effects of stress and anxiety
when engaged in complex cognitive processing, such as studying for a test, completing
homework assignments, or while reading and writing. This practice is so common that it
would be beneficial for KMPP students to understand the role that music plays on cognitive
performance. Research demonstrating the effects of music on performance is well
documented, but have shown ambiguous evidence on this matter. In studies conducted to
learn about the effects of musical distraction on cognitive task performance, the findings
have demonstrated the idea of music improving cognitive performance (Cockerton, Moore, &
Norman, 1997), but there has also been research contradicting those results, where music
was found distracting for participants performing cognitive tasks (Furnham & Bradley, 1997).
However, with the plethora of music genres available to music listeners, it is important to
understand how different types of music impact performance. Additionally, very few studies
address the interaction between the intensity or volume of the music played and its effect on
cognitive processing. The present study aims to understand the effect of listening to different
genres of music played at different volume levels on cognitive task performance.
Many KMPP students choose to listen to a preferred genre of music when they study or do
their homework without understanding the potential harmful effects of such practice. A study
conducted by Smith and Morris (1977) addressed this question by studying the effects of
sedative and stimulate music. The study focused on the influence these two distinct genres
of music have on performance, anxiety, and concentration. Student had to indicate their
preferred genre and were requested to repeat a set of numbers backwards while listening to
either the stimulate, sedative, or no music. The results indicated that student performed
worse while listening to their preferred type of music. Additionally, in the no music condition,
student performed best. These results indicate that a preferred type of music can serve as a
distracting factor when one is engaged in a cognitively demanding task perhaps due to the
fact that less cognitive resources are available when the attention is drawn to the lyrics,
emotions, and memories that such music can evoke. Student who listened to sedative music
performed better than student who listened to simulative music and worse than those who
listened to no music at all. These results indicated that stimulate music is a stronger
distractor and obstructs cognitive processing more than sedative music does.

Although music does bring negative effects to our life, most KMPP student still
prefer to listen to music because they agree that the benefits of music is more
than the negative effects that music brings to us. Some KMPP student have
proved that listening to music while studying enhance their working
performance.

RESEARHED OBJECTIVES
To identify either KMPPs student often listen to music
To investigate how music improve KMPPs student life.
To identify whether listening to music leads to good
academic results.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
Does music improve our study habits?
Does music can release our stress?
Does music improve our body health?
Does music affect the brain?

HYPOTHESIS
Music does improve our study habits if we listening to
sedative music.
Music does reduce stress of our daily life.

Music makes you smarter, happier and more productive

at any age.
Music can uplift our soul and improve our body health.

LITERATURE REVIEW

METHODOLOGY
QUESTIONNARES:
1) How often do you listen to music?
I didnt listen to music before.
Less than an hour a day
1-2 hours a day
2-3 hours a day
3-4 hours a day
Never stop listening to music

2) What type of music do you typically listen to?

Pop
Rock
Rap

Classical
Country
Others
3) Do you listen to music while studying? If so, is it effective?
Yes

No

4)Does the music that you listen to affect the mood?

Yes

No

5) Do you think music that you listen can influence the type of people
that you hang around?
Yes

No

6) Do the type people around you influence the type of music you
listen to?
Yes

No

7) In your opinion, are you going to feel happier after listening to a

song about love or a song about death?
Love

death

emotion

RESPONDENTS
There are approximately 19 students of H4P3/H4P4
student. 14 students are chosen randomly and the
questionnaires are distributed equally to the male and
female students of student racers.

INSTUREMENT
For this research, the instrument used is questionnaires
that is self-constructed. The questionnaires consist of 7
questions with multiple choices as answer. Questions
based on the influence of music of students KMPP.

RESEARCH PROCEDURE
The questionnaires are distributed randomly to 14
respondents of 4 male and 10 female of H4P3/H4P4
students in Penang Matriculation College. The
questionnaires are distributed before the lecture starts
and by the end of the class the questionnaires are

collected and analysed the respondents are given

around 1 hour to answer the questionnaires.

DATA ANALYSIS
How often do you listen to music
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

Most people listen to music less than an hour a day

while moderate people listen to music for one to two
hours a day and three to four hours a day. Only one
people listen to music without stopping.

What type of music do you usually listen to

8
7

6
5
4

3
2

1
0

1
pop

rock

2
1

rap

classical

country

others

Most people listen to other music instead of pop, rock,

rap, classical and country. About five people love to
listen to pop music. Only two people love to listen to
rap and country music while only one people like to
listen to rock and classical music simultaneously.
Do you listen to music while studying
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

yes

no

According to the analysed data, most people do

not listen to music when they are studying.

Music affect the mood

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

yes

no

About nine people agree that music does affect

the mood of the listeners among fourteen H4P3
and H4P4 students.

Music influence people

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

yes

no

Most people do not agree that music influences

people in the form of their own behaviour.

Do the type people around you influence the type of music you listen to
12
10

10
8
6
4

2
0

yes

no

Ten people strongly disagree that the type of

music you listen to is influenced by the people
that surrounds you.

You feel after listening to music

12

11

10
8
6
4
2

2
0

1
love

death

emotion

Eleven people feel loved after listening to love

music. Just one typical people feel death after
listening to music while only one people feel
emotional after listening to music.

CONCLUSION
Our objective to identify whether KMPP students often listen to
music is achieved. They did listen to music but it is just for a
short period. Music has improved KMPP students life in many
ways and they feel happier with the presence of music.
According to our analysed data, music does improve overall
academic results of KMPP students. Besides, music not only
helps in improving academic results, but it also helps to release
stress, improve body health and inculcate study habits in the
students themselves.

REFERENCE
http://www.gotoquiz.com/music_survey_quiz
Book: A guide to WRITING REPORTS