Popularised by Don Campbell (1993), The Mozart Effect claims that playing Mozart’s music to infants will increase their intelligence (IQ). Based on the original publication by Rauchter et al. (1993, 1995), which highlighted an improvement in spatial-temporal intelligence and reasoning on standardized testing in college students, Campbell (1993) published a book showcasing the intelligence increasing effects of “The Mozart Effect.” The present literature review will assess several studies on the Mozart Effect and similar claims in order to determine the accuracy of the information claimed by Campbell (1993). The review will focus on the age of the participants in the original reports on the Mozart Effect (the use of college students), mainstream versus alternate methods of increasing intelligence in infants (learning music versus listening to music) as well as the accuracy of short-term versus long-term experiments. In referral to intelligence, such will be defined as IQ (Intelligence Quotient), focusing on spatial-temporal results and making reference to the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Scientific reports, journal articles and thesis statements will be reviewed in order to determine the accuracy of the Mozart Effect claim.
The initial paper by Rauschter et al. (1993, 1995) showed that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata preformed better on spatial-temporal questioning sections of standardized testing as well as an IQ increase (Rauschter et al., 1993, 1995). The sample of this study was played a Mozart Sonata for 8 minutes before an examination in order to test the spatial-temporal reaction through standardized testing. The study found that after listening to Mozart, students showed better spatial reasoning resul...
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...ife. Since the original experiment by Rauchter et al. (1993, 1995), the Mozart Effect has been popularised by media with companies creating CD’s with Mozart music for parents to increase their child’s IQ. In the scientific community the Mozart Effect has been critically disputed resulting in multiple experiments attempting disprove the theory. Ultimately, many of the experiments had large gaps with results focusing on the Mozart Effect being preformed on adolescent or young adult students. However, evidence can be provided to support that with musical instruction (the learning of an instrument), children can improve their IQ and learning abilities. Ultimately, it can be seen through scientific literature that the Mozart Effect (the listening of Mozart music by infants) has little to no credibility or proof to support the claim of it in increasing the IQ of infants.
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.
Mcelvie, P., Low, J. (2002). Listening to Mozart does not improve children's spatial ability: Final curtains for the Mozart effect. The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20(1), 241-259. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/218679147
There is limited literature centered on an infant age group to support the notion that babies will become smarter through exposure to Mozart’s symphonies. Rauscher, Shaw and Ky (1993) devised an experiment initiating the theory now known as the ‘Mozart Effect’. The study examined the possible effect the exposure to three differing conditions; silence, a relaxation tape and a Mozart piece had on college student’s ability to perform spatial tasks, and hence the effect on their spatial IQ scores (Rauscher et al. 1993). Rauscher et al. (1993) concluded there was an increase in these scores for studen...
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.
Music education is important for several different reasons. Music is a very valuable resource for students and teachers alike. Research has shown that musical study improves a child's early cognitive development, basic math and reading abilities, SAT scores, ability to work in teams, as well as spatial reasoning skills (VH1, 2003, para4). Music helps students to achieve in areas of intelligence. “Feis, Revecz, the Pannenborgs, Miller, and others are unanimous in finding that musicality and high intelligence go together” (Mursell & Glenn, 1931, p. 20). Studies have shown that preschool children taught with music and songs have an average 10 to 20 points over those without, and by the age of 15 have higher reading and math skills. Another study showed that students that had taken a music appreciation class scored 46 points higher on the math portion of the SAT, and students who had music performance experiences scored 39 points higher than students without any music experience (Harvey, 1997, para13). Music impacts most other areas of learning. “The area holding the greatest prospects for transfer from music appears to be language arts.” (Hoffer, 1983, p. 46) It has been said that music helps concentration during reading. Music is an affective memory aide, because of its use of rhythm, rhyme and melody. Music for young children helps them to learn language because of the rhythms and patterns involved in learning the songs. The involvement of music in education can help to develop oral language skills, listening skills, and an increased vocabulary. Music can help the comprehension of language and basic facts (Dobbs, 1990, 341, 342).
Campbell, Don G. The Mozart Effect for Children: Awakening Your Child's Mind, Health, and Creativity with Music. New York: William Morrow, 2000. Print
Although the Mozart effect has shown a varied enhancement of participants’ spatial cognition the claim that ‘Mozart makes babies smarter’ is completely discredited. Through the aforementioned analysis of arousal and mood factors it is clear that cognitive enhancement relies strongly on the participants’ reaction to any stimuli, rather than specifically Mozart. Additionally, the lack of dependency on just one form of stimuli to achieve result indicates that the phenomenon is not specific to Mozart’s sonata. Finally, the limited longevity discredits the importance of the speculated phenomenon as it does not have any long term benefits to the user. Overall, this claim, despite having partial merit is fundamentally incorrect, despite its wide-spread popularist acceptance.
As Bob Marley once said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Studies shown that classical music, specifically Mozart, help you engage in your studies better and as a result showed high test scores according to a test scientist at Stanford University held. Did you ever imagine how powerful a piece that was composed in the 1780’s could be?
Martin, Roy P. “Does Music Education Enhance the Developing Brain and Academic Achievement”. College of Education at the University of Georgia. 17 November 2011. Web. 22 May 2013.
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
Schlaug, Gottfried, Andrea Norton, Kate Overy, and Ellen Winner. Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain. The Musician's Brain. New York Academy Of Sciences, 2005. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. .
The idea of the Mozart effect began in 1993 with a study conducted by Rauscher, Shaw & Ky. This study involved 36 university students taking three different IQ spatial reasoning tasks and for each test used either Mozart’s sonata for two pianos in D major and relaxation music was played, silence was also used. The results of this experiment showed that students who had listened to the music of Mozart had better results for the spacial reasoning tests in comparison to silence or relaxation music. The results also showed that the impact of Mozart’s music was only temporary and only lasted for 10-15 minutes. Overall this study was very basic and had numerous flaws such as the sample size and also the variety of tests used to look at the impact of music (Rauscher, Shaw & Ky, 1993). In 1997 Don Campbell’s book The Mozart effect popularised the claim that music makes children smarter. This book created a public interest in music and brain development. The book uses Rauscher’s experiment as an example of what Mozart’s music can do which in this experiment shows a temporary increase in spatial reasoning, this however was misinterpreted by the public as an increase in IQ. The popularisation of the...
Scientists and skeptics have different beliefs about the benefits of the Mozart Effect. Scientists found that Mozart “enhanced synchrony between the neural activity in the right frontal and left tempoparietal cortical areas of the brain,” and that this effect continued for “over 12 minutes” (Rauscher & Shaw, 1998, p. 839). Based on these results, Leng and Shaw speculated that “listening to Mozart could be stimulating the neural firing patterns in the parts of the cerebral cortex responsible for spatial-temporal skills, which subsequently enhances the spatial-temporal abilities that are housed in those parts of the cortex”[Dowd]. However nonbelievers suggest that the research is incomplete and misleading. The Irvine study that launched the phenomenon has been widely criticized. The Startling results announced by the initial paper were misleading. First, the researchers claimed that the undergraduates improved on all three spatial-reasoning tests. But as Shaw later clarified, the only enhancement came from one task—paper folding and cutting. Further, the researchers presented the data in the form...
Campbell, D. G. (1997). The Mozart effect: tapping the power of music to heal the body, strengthen the mind, and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Avon Books.
"The Mozart Effect." Index Page - PositiveHealth.com - United Kingdom. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .