Research: Classical music helps men at work (but not women)

New research from Imperial College London and the neighbouring Royal College of Music. Read here.

The conclusions are based on a very small sample of 352 visitors to an exhibition. However, there may be possible implications for the use of music during surgery in the operating theatre.

Dr Daisy Fancourt, lead author of the research from the Centre for Performance Science, said: “Although this study is clearly tongue-in-cheek, and was all performed in our spare time, it is part of our wider research into the effect of music on performance – particularly in a medical setting such as an operating theatre.”

She explained that music is reportedly played up to 72 per cent of the time in an operating theatre. However, experts are divided on whether it has a beneficial effect. Some research, for instance, has found that Jamaican music and Hip-Hop increases operating speed and surgical instrument manipulation. However another study reported that one in four anaesthetists, who are responsible for keeping patients sedated, said music reduced their vigilance.