In 1993, a study conducted by researchers Rauscher, Shaw and Ky aimed to test the theory that listening to Mozart increased ones performance on spatial relations tasks. Now decades on, the study forms the basis of a preconception that listening to Mozart can make someone (specifically babies) smarter and is now “one of the most well-known popular interpretations (or rather misinterpretations) of a psychological finding” (Husain, Schellenberg and Thompson, 2001, p. 248). With this being said, the following essay aims to eliminate this preconception by analysing current research valid to the Mozart affect whilst reinforcing the argument that listening to Mozart does not improve intelligence, but rather, in limited cases is able to produce minimal and temporary spatial aptitude that does not necessarily pertain exclusively to Mozart’s pieces. This can be supported by analysing studies; that show listening to Mozart only boosts spatial ability, that the improvement of spatial ability can be credited to other factors such as arousal, mood or personal preference and also that the increase in spatial capacity has yet to be studied in-depth in terms of if it is able to have long-term effects. The lack of studies involving babies or even young children also supports the argument that listening to Mozart does not makes babies smarter.
One of the main arguments behind the decision that Mozart’s music does not in fact make babies smarter is that the effect has only been shown (to a degree and is not always replicated) to enhance spatial abilities evident in tests “derived from the Stanford-Binet scale such as paper-cutting and folding procedures or pencil-and-paper maze tasks” (Jenkins, 2001) and not in general intelligence (improvement ov...
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...ether or not the Mozart effect could be applied to them in a school setting. Positively, it was shown that the children scored higher on a spatial ability task of paper folding after listening to Mozart, although the results, just like every other study concluded, seemed to last only for the duration of the test which was around 10-15 minutes. One must also keep in mind that many tests never endeavoured to delve into whether or not the results could be reproduced later without the need of Mozart’s sonata.
Since this study has yet to be thoroughly examined and replicated, it is hard to give weight to the argument. The fact that the study does not involve infant participants also contributes to the issue that studies involving babies are lacking, and thus it is difficult to support the theory that babies are able to be “made smarter” by the effects of Mozart’s music.
The Mozart Effect Resource Centre website, music educator Don Campbell made the claim that “classical music has a powerful effect on the intellectual and creative development of children from the very youngest of ages.” (Campbell, n.d.). To critically evaluate this claim a number of sources have been analysed. Through this analysis it was found that the claim cannot be supported by reliable empirical research and that classical music only produces short-term cognitive enhancement. This effect can be achieved by listening to any type of music. The first main theme found in the literature was that listening to classical music such as Mozart produced only short term increased cognitive abilities and did not aid the intellectual development of children. Secondly it was found that much of the testing on the topic was not reliable, contained many uncontrolled variables and there was little information relating to babies directly. Finally, many sources corroborated to agree that the same affect could be yielded from other types of music such as rock and pop.
In recent years, several studies have been conducted surrounding the concept of Mozart enhancing intelligence. Studies conducted regarding this phenomenon have dubbed it the ‘Mozart effect’. The theory has been popularized by the media, with businesses, leaping at the opportunity to sell intellect in the form of Mozart products. Consequently, the claim ‘listening to Mozart makes babies smarter’ became an adopted belief. Thorough research into the Mozart effect, lead to the hypothesis that there is inadequate evidence to support this claim. This literature review intends to support the hypothesis through critically analysing various articles and presenting arguments to disprove the claim. Literature founded achieves the hypothesis through expressing a lack of evidence focusing on an infant age group; as well as being inadequate in depicting Mozart’s ability to enhance intelligence through examining only spatial intelligence and the absence of evidence supporting long term intellectual developments. Throughout this review research, mostly in the form of studies is presented to successfully demonstrate these points and disprove the claim.
This review aims to address the debate as to whether or not playing classical music enhances the cognitive development of infants. This question is raised in response to the claim made by music educator Don Campbell (1997), who states that ‘playing Mozart to babies makes them smarter’, by aiding their intellectual and creative development. It is important to determine if there is sufficient evidence behind this statement as people are paying money for their children to experience the claimed effects. This review will draw upon, analyse and interpret a range of empirical research studies involving school-aged children to adults exposed to different forms of music (including Mozart) to measure the effects. Campbell’s claim will be critically evaluated and proved otherwise that playing Mozart to babies does not improve overall intelligence. It will be argued that the empirical studies are based on children and young adults not infants, that the effects were found to be temporary and relative to specific measure on intelligence, and that other forms of music can influence spatial reasoning.
The Mozart Effect is a phenomenon taking both the scientific world and public eye by storm. The controversy over the Mozart Effect has allowed the spread of a misconception that listening to Mozart can enhance general intelligence. The term “Mozart Effect” relates specifically to the neuropsychology research paper, carried out by Rauscher, Shaw, & Ky in 1993, that reported temporary increases in college students’ ability to perform spatial reasoning tasks after briefly listening to Mozart’s sonata K. 448 (Taylor & Rowe 2012). Although spatial reasoning is important for generating and theorising solutions to problems, this alone does not mean that listening to Mozart’s music will make babies, or anyone smarter.
Campbell, Don G. The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music. New York: William Morrow, 2000. Print
Studies have shown that the effects of classical music, are advantageous to both one’s ability to process and retain new information, as well as to recall and memorize old material. I believe that the outcome of an experiment of this nature will be entirely dependent upon the individual that the experiment is being conducted upon. Furthermore, due to the complexity of as well as the diversity found within humans, and the fact that no two humans are the same, I believe that the results will vary from person to person.
Many people do not realize the positive effect that popular music has on children. At a young age one of the breakthroughs for children is music’s benefit for language development. According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. Studies have indicated that musical training develops the left side of the brain known to be involved in processing language and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. The relation between both music and language development can also have advantages children. Listening to music can also improve children test scores and IQ levels. Dr. Schellenberg found that a small increase in the IQs of six year olds who were given weekly vocal and piano lessons. This leads to the fact that music is very helpful when it comes to education. Professor Christopher Johnson revealed that students in elementary schools with better music education programs sc...
The Mozart Effect, a study done to show the effect of music education on middle school children, led the way to more followup research on this subject. The procedure included thirty-six college student’s split up into three groups. Each group
Music, an essential component to mankind’s culture, is said to affect the intellect of humans in several different ways. Specifically, it’s affect on infants is more important than any other age group due to the brain’s plasticity at such a young age. Music can improve learning skills, test taking skills, concentration, heartbeat, and relaxation. Understanding the human brain is a great endeavor that countless scientists have spent lifetimes on. It will probably never be fully understood, however, I think that researching music’s relationship with the brain should help uncover many mysteries. Neuroscientific studies have shown music to be an agent capable of influencing complex neurobiological processes
- Schlaug, G; Norton, A; Overy, K & Winner, E. 2006. Wiley Online Library: Effects of Music Training of the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development. Date accessed 2014/02/09. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1360.015/full
The correlation between music and individuals is a very heavily researched topic. This literature review will critically evaluate the claim made by Don Campbell (1997, p.24) that ‘playing Mozart makes babies smarter’. This review will look at the history of the Mozart effect and also look at a range of sources that support and also go against the claim that the Mozart effect makes babies smarter. These claims will be analysed through the three main measurements in relation the Mozart effect these are spatial reasoning, arousal and also mood.
The past research about the effect of music on the brain is called the Mozart Effect. The Mozart Effect refers to claims that people perform better on tests of spatial abilities after listening to music composed by Mozart. This experience examined whether the Mozart effect is a result of differences in stimulation and temper. (William Forde Thompson, E. Glenn Schellenberg and Gabriela Husain, 2001). A research was made by Dr.Gordon Shaw at UCI and Fran Rauscher about this Mozart effect. The experience is to use college students who listened to Mozart’s symphonies while they are solving a spatial temporal task. This task is a famous one: the paper folding and cutting test. The results were astonishing. In fact, all the students recorded impressi...
...it. To what extend Mozart’s music affects our brains is still a question for this mom.
Patel states in the article that music neuroscience, which draws on cognitive science, music education and neuroscience, can help answer basic questions about the working of the human brain. Music addresses some of the behaviors and skills that are necessary for academic success (How Playing Music Affect the Developing Brain, n.d). A classical composer, which goes by the name of Mozart, makes music that is 60 beats per minute. Surprisingly his music activates both the left and right parts of the brain. If someone is studying and also listening to one of his pieces the person listens with the right part of the brain while the left part is taking in information (O’ Donnell 1999).“Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet,” says, Pruett (Brown, n.d para.
Listening to music releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is known not only for improving mood but also increasing motivation and emotional stamina. But the benefits that come from listening to music affect more than just the way we feel. Studies have shown that when listening to the right style of music at the right decibel level, students have been able to concentrate better. For studying purposes, this mainly applies to classical music. Many school teachers and professors argue that music is simply distracting, or so stimulating that it inhibits a student’s ability to focus. However, when classical music has few words, or as is often found, few English words, the mind isn’t as easily distracted by the meaning or idea of the song. In fact, what is sometimes interpreted as chaotic in classical music can provide a high enough level of exertion for your brain to comprehend, that it stimulates high l...