For generations, music has been a reliable soundtrack, even as times (and people) keep changing. And while the styles have changed, too, from the early rock and roll that Boomers lived by to the gangsta rap and grunge that haunted the forgotten Gen Xers. A paper in Frontiers in Psychology, explores how young adults, with and without symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), use background music to navigate daily tasks.
Specifically, the research exposes dramatic differences in how these groups lean on music, especially during cognitively demanding activities. The paper also provides insight into music’s perceived influence on emotional regulation, focus, and even stress.
Led by researchers Kelly-Ann Lachance, Pénélope Pelland-Goulet, and Nathalie Gosselin at the University of Montreal, the study surveyed 434 participants between 17 and 30, half of whom screened positively for ADHD using a standard self-report scale. Participants reported how often they listened to music during various activities and described what music they preferred.
They also rated music’s impact on their concentration and emotional state, especially during mentally demanding tasks.
“In lab studies, we rarely ask about listening habits, and yet it’s important because people differ in the amount of stimulation they need to perform a task optimally,” Lachance explained. “As a future clinician, I want to use research to help the individuals I follow.”
An Old School Mental Companion
Music filled participants’ lives across the board. An overwhelming majority of respondents, regardless of ADHD status, reported listening to music during both high- and low-effort tasks.
But differences emerged in the details:
- ADHD-screened participants listened to music much more often than neurotypicals while studying and during low-effort tasks, such as cleaning or exercising.
- They also gravitated more toward stimulating music – fast-paced, emotionally charged, and high-energy – across all activity types.
- On the other hand, neurotypical participants appeared to be more likely to prefer relaxing and familiar music during mentally demanding tasks.
These preferences support prevailing theories about both attention and arousal. According to the Moderate Brain Arousal model, people with ADHD might need more external stimulation (energetic music, for example) to be more alert.
Meanwhile, the Cognitive Capacity Hypothesis suggests that multitasking with music might strain limited mental resources, especially during complex tasks. The type and tempo of the music, then, could make a dramatic difference.
What Kind of Music, and When?
When it came to high-effort cognitive activities such as reading or writing, participants from both groups preferred instrumental, familiar, and self-selected music.
Yet, ADHD-screened respondents were more likely to pick stimulating tracks even during these mentally demanding moments.
“Why stimulating music?” Lachance wondered. “The literature shows that people with ADHD need more activation to perform at the same optimal level as neurotypicals. Music could help with this, regardless of the type of activity.”
During lower-effort tasks, from commuting or working out, both groups leaned into lyrical and upbeat music, though ADHD-screened participants did so more consistently.
Notably, the choice of music seemed tied not just to task difficulty but mood, as well. The researchers found that tension and anxiety scores predicted how often participants used music during low-effort activities. Those with higher anxiety levels seemed to be more likely to turn to music during these tasks, regardless of ADHD status.
Perception vs. Reality
The study also looked at how participants perceived the impact of background music on their cognitive and emotional functioning. To the researchers’ surprise, both groups reported similar outcomes.
Despite ADHD-screened individuals listening to more music (and preferring more stimulating tunes), the groups didn’t differ all that much from neurotypicals in how they rated music’s influence on their focus or mood.
This finding suggests that while individuals with ADHD might use music more frequently or differently, they experience it in much the same way as their neurotypical peers: as a lifeline. All of us, apparently, rely on music for emotional support, stress relief, and even concentration.
Personalized Playlists – And Benefits
How (and the reasons why) we listen to music is as diverse as what we listen to it.P ersonal needs, psychological states, and neurological differences dictate the tracklists that make up each of our soundtracks.
For young adults with ADHD, music might act as an informal form of stimulation or emotional regulation. For others, maybe it’s a concentration aid. Or even a mood booster.
Either way, our persistent (and growing) reliance on music throughout our lives hints at its powerful and complex role in how we manage attention, mood, and productivity. And as researchers keep digging into music’s potential as a therapeutic tool, one thing remains clear: the right song at the right time might do more than pass the time. It might help us perform better, feel good, and focus a little bit more.
Further Reading
How Moms and Meds Influence ADHD
