The real conclusion is that, all else equal, music decreases cognitive performance (memory tasks, mostly) a bit. It doesn't conclude that actual workers are mo

The real conclusion is that, all else equal, music decreases cognitive performance (memory tasks, mostly) a bit. It doesn't conclude that actual workers are more or less productive. Enjoying yourself more, even at the expense of cognitive performance, might be far more valuable in maintaining motivation and productive work. A quick search didn't turn anything up in the literature, but my guess is that some distraction is beneficial in real-world scenarios. The challenge of productive work, for me, is generally staying on task, not summoning my cognitive abilities. If music can redirect or 'absorb' stray attention, it may assist in staying on task. Certainly a wealth of experience seems to support this; I have a very hard time getting things done without music. TL;DR: I wouldn't extrapolate real productivity from memory tasks in a study.