The Impact of Instrumental Music on Dual-task Interference in a Simulated Driving Environment

Numerous drivers engage in both listening to music and undertaking secondary tasks while driving. Secondary tasks have been shown to have a negative impact on driving performance. However, the effect of music on driving performance can vary, either improving or impairing it. Nevertheless, the influence of background music on dual-task interference remains uncertain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of instrumental background music on dual-task performance within a simulated driving environment. Twenty-four participants performed a color-discrimination task followed by a driving lane-change task. The results indicated that music enhanced accuracy in the lane-change task without a corresponding increase in reaction time (RT), both in single- and dual-task conditions. Additionally, when the time gap between the two tasks was 600 ms, RT for the lane-change task decreased with high music tempo. However, RT for the lane-change task did not exhibit any changes in response to music tempo when the onset time between the two tasks was short (100 ms), as well as in the single-task condition. Notably, participants perceived workload did not significantly differ across the various task conditions. These findings emphasize the potential of background music to improve dual-task performance, particularly when considering the temporal gap between tasks.