A new study published in Frontiers in Psychology reveals that young adults who screen positive for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to listen to background music more frequently than their neurotypical peers during both cognitively demanding and less demanding activities. These individuals also show a stronger preference for stimulating music, regardless of the activity.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity. It often begins in childhood and persists into adulthood in a significant proportion of cases. Adults with ADHD, especially those with the inattentive presentation, may struggle with sustained attention, task management, and organization.
The disorder is also commonly associated with emotional challenges such as anxiety or depression. While stimulant medication can help regulate brain arousal and improve performance, researchers have also explored alternative strategies to support individuals with attentional difficulties, including environmental adjustments like background music.
In the new study, doctoral candidates Kelly-Ann Lachance and Pénélope Pelland-Goulet, along with clinical neuropsychologist and full professor Nathalie Gosselin at the University of Montreal, sought to understand how young adults use music in daily life and whether those with ADHD symptoms differ from neurotypical individuals in their listening habits.
“We were interested in how young adults with and without ADHD use background music during daily activities, especially those requiring more cognitive effort, since prior lab studies rarely examine real-world listening habits,” the researchers explained. “Given that individuals with ADHD often struggle with attention, we wanted to understand whether they listen to music differently in everyday contexts. This interest was sparked years ago when a parent of a teenager with attention difficulties once asked Dr. Gosselin if letting their child study with music was a good idea—an unanswered question that stayed with her ever since.”
The research team conducted an online survey with 434 participants between the ages of 17 and 30. Participants answered questions about their music listening habits, musical preferences, and the perceived effects of background music on emotional and cognitive functioning. The survey also included a standardized screening tool for ADHD symptoms. Based on the responses, participants were divided into two groups: those who screened positive for ADHD and those who did not.
The researchers found that most young adults listen to background music during both cognitively demanding tasks—such as studying, problem-solving, and reading—and less demanding ones like cleaning, cooking, and exercising. However, individuals in the ADHD-screened group reported more frequent use of background music while studying and exercising compared to the neurotypical group. They also listened more frequently to music during low-effort activities overall.
“Interestingly, distinct differences emerged between groups,” the researchers told PsyPost. “ADHD-screened participants not only listened to music more often during study tasks but also preferred stimulating music across both more and less cognitively demanding activities.”
“In contrast, neurotypical participants tended to favor relaxing music during cognitively demanding activities and more stimulating music during less demanding ones. This pattern highlights a clear difference in how music is used and perceived—not just casually, but as a strategy to meet stimulation needs. It was interesting to see that these self-regulatory uses of music are already present in everyday life.”
These findings align with existing psychological theories. One of them, the Moderate Brain Arousal model, suggests that individuals with ADHD often experience lower baseline levels of brain arousal. They may use external stimulation—such as music—to help reach an optimal arousal state that supports task engagement.
Stimulating music, by activating the brain’s reward system and releasing dopamine, could help compensate for this baseline deficit and reduce tendencies toward mind-wandering or distraction during tasks like studying. In contrast, neurotypical individuals may seek less stimulation and favor music that is more calming or predictable when engaging in complex work.
The researchers also investigated whether participants believed that background music improved their concentration or mood during cognitive tasks. Using a set of 27 statements, they conducted a factor analysis and identified two distinct dimensions of subjective experience: one related to cognitive functioning and the other to emotional functioning. Most participants reported that music helped with both, citing enhanced concentration and improved mood.
Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences between groups in how they rated the emotional or cognitive benefits of background music. This suggests that despite listening more often to music in daily life, ADHD-screened individuals do not necessarily perceive stronger effects.
“Our findings suggest that young adults with ADHD symptoms tend to listen to background music more frequently during activities that demand concentration, and they usually prefer more stimulating music, regardless of the activity type (e.g., more and less cognitively demanding),” the researchers said. “Many participants—both young adults with ADHD symptoms and neurotypical—also reported that music helped them stay focused and improved their mood. This suggests that background music might be a way for some people to manage their attention and emotions in everyday life.”
The researchers took care to account for potential confounding factors in their analysis. They controlled for variables such as musical training and mood symptoms and found that group differences in listening habits remained significant. For instance, even after adjusting for emotional distress, participants with ADHD symptoms still reported higher music use while exercising or doing simple tasks. This pattern suggests that the behavior is not solely driven by emotional coping but may also be related to attentional strategies or arousal regulation.
But there are still some limitations to consider. One key limitation was the reliance on self-report data, which may be subject to recall bias or social desirability effects. In addition, the ADHD status of participants was determined through a screening questionnaire rather than a clinical diagnosis. This method may have included individuals with subclinical symptoms.
Despite these limitations, the study adds to a growing body of evidence that music plays a meaningful role in how people manage attention and emotion in daily life. For individuals with attentional challenges, music may serve as a flexible and self-directed tool to help regulate arousal, reduce boredom, and support performance.
Future research could build on these findings by using laboratory experiments or examining how different types of music affect cognitive performance and emotional state in individuals with ADHD. Longitudinal studies might also explore how music habits evolve over time or interact with other coping strategies.
“In the short term, we have just launched a new survey targeting a younger population (ages 12 to 17) to explore their background music listening habits during daily activities,” the researchers said. “In English: https://ls.sondages.umontreal.ca/229667. In French: https://ls.sondages.umontreal.ca/978117.”
“As for long-term goals, a key next step would be to examine how specific musical characteristics—such as tempo, lyrics, or familiarity—influence attention and emotional regulation in real time. Future research should be interested in developing personalized music-based strategies that could help individuals with attentional difficulties in academic or work settings.”
“Our findings reflect what many people may already sense intuitively: music is not just background noise—it plays a role in how we manage our attention, mood, and motivation,” the researchers added. “Understanding these everyday habits could help guide more individualized and practical approaches to supporting mental health and focus, especially in people with ADHD symptoms.”
The study, “Listening habits and subjective effects of background music in young adults with and without ADHD,” was authored by Kelly-Ann Lachance Pénélope Pelland-Goulet, and Nathalie Gosselin.