^1,2Neil Shaw

¹Head of Sciences, NUCB International College, 4-4 Sagamine, Komenokicho, Nisshin, Aichi 470-0193, Japan

²Department of International Studies, Nagoya University of Commerce & Business, 4-4 Sagamine, Komenokicho, Nisshin, Aichi 470-0193, Japan

ORCID: 0000-0003-2722-9967

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i6n34

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ABSTRACT

Background: The effect of background music on cognitive performance remains debated, with conflicting evidence across music genres, task types, and individual differences. Electronic dance music (EDM), characterised by repetitive rhythmic patterns and high tempo, is widely used by students during study, yet its influence on verbal memory and associated prefrontal neural activity is poorly characterised. Methods: Ten healthy student participants (6 female, 4 male) each completed two word memorisation sessions — one with EDM playing and one without — in a within-subjects design. During each 28-second memorisation phase, EEG was recorded using a Brain Link EEG Headband connected to the Basic Detection application, yielding relative percentage power in five frequency bands (gamma, beta, alpha, theta, delta) from prefrontal cortex sensors. Following a 15-second delay, participants had 60 seconds to recall as many words as possible from a 12-item list. Results: Mean recall was marginally higher in the music condition (7.70 ± 0.75 vs. 7.10 ± 0.62 words), although this difference was not statistically significant (paired t(9) = 1.15, p = 0.28). No significant differences in any EEG band were observed between conditions (all p > 0.30). The music condition showed numerically higher delta power (44.81% vs. 40.14%) and lower beta power (13.28% vs. 16.01%), consistent with altered prefrontal processing under auditory stimulation, though individual variability was substantial. Conclusion: EDM during memorisation did not significantly alter word recall or prefrontal brainwave patterns in this pilot sample. The directional trends — higher delta and lower beta with music — are consistent with increased cognitive load and possible disruption of working memory consolidation circuits. This study provides a methodological foundation and preliminary data for larger investigations into music, memory, and prefrontal function.

KEYWORDS:

electronic dance music; EEG; working memory; word recall; prefrontal cortex; delta oscillations; cognitive load; memorisation; brainwave; auditory distraction

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Cite this Article:Shaw, N. (2026). Effects of Electronic Dance Music on Word Recall and Prefrontal Eeg Oscillations During Memorisation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(6), 1655-1662. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i6n34

VOlUME 05 ISSUE 06 June 2026