Strategic music listening and subjective perceptions: effects on attention and workload across task complexity levels

This study examined how music timing (rest vs. task), perceived tempo, and listener interpretation affect attention and workload across two phases. Phase I (<i>n</i> = 152) profiled music type/tempo and motivations by task complexity, informing stimulus and moderator definitions. Phase II (<i>n</i> = 39) used a within-subjects Stroop task with four timing conditions (music during rest/task: present vs. absent). Reaction time did not differ across conditions. The task-only condition showed a modestly lower mean correct response count, whereas the rest-only condition showed no main effects on performance or NASA-TLX. Perception moderated outcomes: under continuous exposure (rest-present/task-present), participants who experienced the music as supportive reported higher performance than those who found it distracting. A faster perceived tempo was linked to a higher mental workload. Overall, listeners adapt music use to cognitive demands, and subjective perception modulates impact, consistent with arousal-performance theory and relevant to listener-centered auditory ergonomics.