Listening to the radio or playing music while driving can be quite relaxing. However, experts warn that the habit can interfere with full concentration in traffic.
Neurosurgeon Saul Almeida explains that the two actions are not performed with equal focus by the brain.
“In fact, the human brain is not capable of concentrating on several things at the same time, what happens is that it has the ability to quickly switch between different tasks”, explains Almeida, director of the Neurosurgery Emergency Room at Hospital das Clinics of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo (USP), in a statement.
The impression is that we manage to carry out several actions at the same time, but in practice this is not exactly how it happens, as the doctor explains.
“We will carry out these tasks in an incomplete or superficial way. This happens because the tension in the brain is divided between these various tasks, and the result is a decrease in the quality of what we are doing and, in addition, when we quickly switch between different tasks, you end up overloading your brain”, explains.
sensory stimuli
When it comes to listening to music, other factors make this quick switch between activities even more difficult. Professor at the Institute of Psychology at USP Marcelo Costa explains how sensory stimuli are associated.
“We are constantly looking for information from our environment: visually, auditorily, in short, all the stimuli will always automatically recruit our attention. When I want to pay attention to something, for example, reading a text, an article, I use a voluntary attention mechanism, that is, I control where I want to focus my attention. However, we are still at the mercy of these other sensory stimuli, I mean, regardless of whether I am voluntarily concentrating on this point, if my office door slams, I will stop paying attention here, because this other stimulus has recruited my attention from intense way”, he details.
The same phenomenon occurs when listening to music, according to the specialist. “The fact that we like the music that started playing will make this stimulus gain greater salience: all of this, added up, increases the chance that music will automatically recruit my attention”, he says.
Volume
The volume chosen to listen to music in the car can also influence drivers’ ability to concentrate. A study conducted by Auto Express magazine and the IAM RoadSmart network compared different genres of music played at maximum volume.
According to the study, heavy metal tracks can be quite distracting for drivers, while classical music is at the opposite extreme, which may not be a good thing either.
Music can indeed affect the way we drive, it can distract the driver’s attention and affect their concentration. When we are dividing our brain activity between two tasks, we end up reducing our perception and our reaction time while driving. In addition, loud music can make it difficult for the driver to hear important sounds such as sirens, horns. It can also affect people differently depending on the volume of music, the type of music being listened to and the driver’s experience level.
Saul Almeida, neurosurgeon
In search of balance
As much as the brain is not capable of listening to music and paying full attention to the road at the same time, relaxing to the sound of the radio still has benefits.
“One of the reasons why music makes us reduce our concern is exactly the focus. When we listen to a song, as it has this ability to affect us emotionally, especially a song that we like, it will recruit our attention to the components of that song. Even if I still keep thinking about the problem, part of my attention will be connected to the music, lessening the impact that problem has. This positive feeling counterbalances the negative aspects of that problem”, says Costa.
To minimize loss of focus, experts recommend choosing pleasant, low-volume music to avoid distraction.
“While you are driving your car, it is important to try to choose music that is pleasant for you, keeping it at a safe volume to avoid distractions and guarantee your safety and that of your vehicle”, says Almeida.
(*With information from Alessandra Ueno, from Jornal da USP)
Source: CNN Brasil
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