Men should avoid rock music when playing board games, say scientists

Mozart may enhance a man's performance in board games - while AC/DC may hinder their chances, according to new research. The scientists behind the study, from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Music , say classical music may be the best option for men when concentrating on a task. Music was found to have no effect on women's performance, though they generally performed better than men at the game involved in the study. In the research, the team asked 352 visitors at the Imperial Festival - an annual celebration of the science that takes place at Imperial - to play the game Operation. This study suggests that for men who are operating or playing a board game, rock music may be a bad idea Dr Daisy Fancourt This game involves removing various body parts from a pretend patient - Cavity Sam - whose nose flashes and buzzes if your tweezers touch the metal sides of the body. Researchers gave the volunteers headphones that played one of three tracks - Andante from Sonata for Two Pianos by Mozart, Thunderstruck by AC/DC, or the sound of an operating theatre. The team then timed them how long it took the participants to remove three body parts, as well as tracking their mistakes.