By Faiza Abdulaziz
For the past three decades, students do turn on their audio set to listen to some sounds claiming that it hence their focus and assimilation. This pique the interest of this reporter to interview some students of Usmanu Danfodiyo university Sokoto, and research some data to know if music enhancing assimilation is a fact or it’s just a mere myth.
Isaq Wakila, a three hundred level student of guidance and counseling shared that ” I have a friend who always visits the club house just to sit in a crowd and listen to loud music in order to understand his academic materials” with this she mentioned that she believes that music does actually hence assimilation.
Abubakar Aisha, a 300L student of guidance and counseling also stated that ” To me I can assimilate in any kind of environment, either in silence or with music'”
Ahmad Usman, a four hundred level student of Nursing sciences mentioned that ” I think this reading with music actually is based on the individual, as we all know that there’s individual differences. So it might be a fact since it works for some people and we can’t call it a myth just because it doesn’t work for others.
A study by Hallam (2001) examined how background music influenced children’s ability to perform cognitive tasks, including reading comprehension and problem-solving. The research suggested that music could positively impact learning, particularly when it comes to tasks that require memory retention and cognitive flexibility.
A study published in Psychology of Music (2013) also noted that listening to music that evoked positive emotions could increase learners’ engagement and motivation during learning tasks.
Positive emotional states have been linked with better cognitive processing and retention of new information. Music, which often enhances mood and emotion, could create a more conducive atmosphere for assimilation by making new learning experiences more memorable and enjoyable.
While there may not be a single, definitive experiment that proves that music directly facilitates “assimilation” as a specific cognitive process, there is substantial evidence that music can enhance cognitive functions such as memory, attention, emotional engagement, and learning—all of which play a role in how we assimilate new information.
Different types of music, emotional states induced by music, and the context in which music is used all influence the extent to which music can facilitate learning and the integration of new knowledge into existing cognitive frameworks.
This story is published as part of the writer’s internship with Nollywire, facilitated by the National Association of Campus Journalists (NACJ), Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS).