Student Research Symposium Program Portal: Submission #185

Abstract Recently, there has been an influx of research on how listening to music of varying tempos and students’ mathematical performance has any correlation; however, there has been a lack of research on the variability of BPM within musical genres. To bridge this gap, this study offers insight into how different tempos within a genre can lead to differences in mathematical competence, hypothesizing that those with a neutral preference for music would achieve higher test scores. The experiment was conducted with over 100 high school students, with their identities kept anonymous. The experiment required each participant to take a multiplication test while listening to music, as well as a survey. The raw data were then analyzed, and conclusions were drawn based on each participant’s test scores, mathematical level, and preference for the music. The hypothesis for this experiment was relatively supported, with the data displaying a higher score for students with a neutral and high preference for the music. The experiments’ outcomes offer a myriad of applications, especially in relation to classical music and students’ mathematical proficiency. As aforementioned, this experiment identifies the unresearched perspective concerning the comparison between diverse music tempos and students’ mathematical achievement, thus allowing for an opportunity to change the background music for students. Upon final analysis, accurate data and results culminated, and cogent insight into how tempos of music can affect an individual’s mathematical achievement was obtained. Nevertheless, extensive research beyond this experiment needs to be performed in order to increase generalizability and eliminate any limitations.