Thank you for the music! A working memory examination of the effect of musical elements on verbal learning

Past research examining the effect of music on learning have presented mixed findings. Music in advertisements may attract attention, enhance excitement, or act as mnemonic aids (Seashore 1967). Sometimes, music may reduce memory (Oakes and North 2006; Tavassoli and Lee 2003). This paper extends past research by examining the interactive effect of musical elements on learning. Specifically, we focus on musical elements that affect the flow of phonological processing when visual learning of verbal information is of interest. While prior research examines the effect of presence or absence of music and its tempo on memory, to the best of our knowledge, the current research is the first to examine (a) how different characteristics of music - lyrics, tempo and repetitiveness - interact to affect learning, and, (b) the process underlying this interaction. Substantively, given that music is multi-faceted and complex, an understanding of how individual elements interact to shape learning is pertinent for constructing more effective marketing communications.