2026-05-18T18:52:17Zhttps://keep.lib.asu.edu/oai/request

oai:keep.lib.asu.edu:node-2004402025-04-21T22:36:08Zoai_pmh:alloai_pmh:repo_items

200440 https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.2.N.200440 http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 2025-05 18 pages Hendrix, Xavier Arce, Alma Deviche, Pierre Barrett, The Honors College School of Human Evolution & Social Change School of Life Sciences Department of Psychology The decline in global mental health, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, has raised concerns about its impact on cognitive function. This study explores the relationship between mental health and cognitive function in college students, with a specific focus on how music, as a potential therapeutic tool, may mitigate cognitive deficits associated with poor mental health. Using the Mental Health Quality of Life Questionnaire (MHQoL-7D) to assess participants' mental well-being, and two reading comprehension tests to measure cognitive performance, this research examined the effects of two different musical tempos—low beats per minute (BPM) music (Weightless by Marconi Union) and high BPM music (One More Time by Daft Punk)—on cognitive function. The results indicated a weak, non-significant correlation between mental health and cognitive performance, suggesting that mental health alone did not substantially predict cognitive outcomes. However, participants performed better on memory tests with high BPM music, especially those with lower mental health scores. These findings imply that higher BPM music might act as a cognitive stimulant for individuals struggling with mental health challenges. Despite limitations such as genre preferences and time constraints, the study provides promising insights into the potential role of music in cognitive enhancement, particularly for those affected by mental health disorders. Further research should explore the influence of music genre, age, and other variables on cognitive function to establish more robust findings. Mental Health Music Beats per Minute (BPM) Cognitive Function Memory Cognition Tempo of Music The Effect of Mental Health on Memory/Cognitive Function The Effect of Music Tempo on Memory/Cognitive Function The Effects of Mental Health and Music on Cognitive Function