I've noticed that music seems to help me focus while programming but makes long-form writing harder.
As usual, has already assembled a nice bibliography: gwern.net/Music-distract
Only one paper on writing (10m essays); finds a modest (-) effect: gwern.net/docs/music-dis
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anecdotally I find a lack of lyrics &/ my familiarity with the song makes all the difference
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Curious which direction? Empirical evidence on that is mixed, though all the studies I’ve seen have serious limitations.
This study found a small positive effect: journals.sagepub.com.sci-hub.se/doi/abs/10.246
This study found a negative effect (confounded with likability): gwern.net/docs/music-dis
fewer lyrics & more familiarity = more focus
ignoring the research for a moment, my rough mental model is replacing an unpredictable environment with a predictable one allows my brain to focus more / be less on alert
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Stray voices are particularly difficult to ignore (for evo reasons I assume). Have you ever tried working next to someone playing tiktok aloud? almost impossible for me, but throw on some headphones & I can jam anywhere
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