CHEWING GUM VS CLASSICAL MUSIC

CAN chewing gum or listening to classical music boost concentration?

We put this to the test, with Xand chewing gum and Chris listening to music, to see if they could help as we did arithmetic and reaction tests while being thrown about in dodgems and on a fairground ride.

Several studies have suggested chewing gum can improve attention, memory and cognitive function because the chewing action increases activity in areas of the brain responsible for language, memory and consciousness. Research also suggests classical music can help focus — a paper in the journal Nature showed a significant increase in IQ when listening to Mozart.

The studies for both have produced mixed results so we weren’t optimistic. But the results were staggering, as we doubled our test scores.

Whether either technique will help you revise for an exam or job interview is another matter. Much probably depends on the background distraction: at a fairground, classical music works well — but probably not as well as going home . . .