The Effect of Listening to Mozart on Test Scores
Listening to classical music can be said to improve a person’s cognitive performance. This idea is also known as the Mozart effect. Even though there have been studies that have disproved this phenomenon, there have also been studies that show that listening to background music while working can actually improve a person’s performance. There are many people that enjoy listening to music while they perform a work task. Whether it is an employee listening to music on the job, or a college student studying, or working on homework, many people claim to listen to music while they work. Some people say that it helps them get their work done faster, or helps them concentrate, while other people claim it does the complete opposite for them.
In 2009, Shih et al. performed an experiment to study whether or not listening to music affected a person’s concentration level while working. This study used 32 college students as their participants, who were split into three different groups, who were all being given an attention test. The first group listened to music while they were tested, the second group had no music at all while being tested, and the third group listened to music ten minutes prior to taking the test. The average test scores and rate of error were then calculated. The results showed that the participants who listened to music prior to taking the test scored higher than the participants who did not listen to music at all. The participants who were listening to music while taking the test, showed a high level of variation in their attentiveness. Therefore, the study showed that listening to background music prior to being tested positively affected a person’s perform...
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...rds, would significantly increase the number of words able to be recalled, when compared to the group that did not listen to anything while memorizing. We expect for the participants, who listened to Mozart while memorizing the words, to be able to recall more words significantly more often than the group that memorized the words in silence.
Works Cited
Jones, M.H., West, S.D., & Estell, D.B. (2006). The Mozart effect: Arousal, preference, and spatial performance. Psychology Of Aesthetics, Creativity, And the Arts, S(1), 26-32.
Roth, R. A., & Smith, K.H. (2008). The Mozart effect: Evidence for the arousal hypothesis. Perceptual And Motor Skills, 107(2), 396-402.
Shih, Y., Huang, R., & Chiang, H. (2009). Correlation between work concentration level and background music: A pilot study. Work: Journal Of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation, 33(3), 329-333.
The literature reviewed found that listening to classical music, in particular music written by Mozart produced only short term, if any, increased cognitive abilities and did not aid the intellectual development of children. This contradicts the claim made by Don Campbell of the Mozart effect resource website. Rauscher, Shaw and Ky (1993) the group who first coined the term ‘Mozart effect’ reported on a study investigating the effects of listening to Mozart on spatial task performance in adolescents. It was found in this study that listening to Mozart did in fact increase spatial task performance. However the enhanced effect only lasted 10 to 15 minutes (Rauscher, Shaw & Ky, 1993). ...
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as he is generally known, was baptized in a Salzburg Cathedral on the day after his birth as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus. The first and last given names come from his godfather Joannes Theophilus Pergmayr, although Mozart preferred the Latin form of this last name, Amadeus, more often Amadé, or the Italiano Amadeo, and occasionally the Deutsch Gottlieb. Whatever the case may be, he rarely - if ever - used Theophilus in his signature. The name Chrysostomus originates from St. John Chrysostom, whose feast falls on the 27th of January. The name Wolfgang was given to him in honor of his maternal grandfather, Wolfgang Nikolaus Pertl.
Whether you’re a devoted music enthusiast or you just listen to the radio to pass time, we all listen to music. However, when listening to music, nobody stops to think about what they are doing. Nobody stops to contemplate how the music they are listening to affects them psychologically. We just listen to the music and enjoy ourselves. In fact however, a great deal of research has been done to determine the psychophysiological effects of music. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether music can help people who suffer from psychological and medical disorders, Scholars continually debate whether music can influence behavior, and researchers are attempting to understand what is happening in our brain when we listen to music.
This claim, despite having partial merit and widespread popular acceptance, is fundamentally incorrect. Through the analysis of various attempted replication studies, it is abundantly clear that the ‘Mozart Effect’ is a falsehood. This is evidenced by: the prominent lack of longevity and replication of successful results; the evaluation of arousal levels on spatial and cognitive enhancement; and, finally, the investigation of procedural flaws in key studies. While playing Mozart can marginally increase spatial performance, the longevity of the increase is doubtful. Improved performance lasts on average only 10 to 15 minutes rather than overall improved cognitive ability for a long term duration, leading to doubts as to the longevity of the speculated Mozart effect (Chabris, C. 1999; McKelvie, P., & Low, J. 2002; Bangerter, A., & Heath, C. 2004).
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?
Former studies have evaluated whether Mozart’s composition has continuing benefits on a child’s cognitive development. A former study conducted by Rauscher (1993) contradicts the belief that the Mozart Effect has long-term benefits for children and individuals. The study involved thirty-six college students who were directed to listen to three alternative conditions for ten minutes- Mozart piano sonata, relaxation music and silence (Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., & Ky, K. N, (1993). Using the Stanford-Binet intelligence scale, the students were immediately examined on their spatial reasoning, where the results indicated the student’s mean IQs were 8-9 points higher when they listened to classical music compared to other conditions (Rauscher et al, 1993). Further examinations disclosed the results as ineffective after the first fifteen minutes, thus concluding the effect did not have long-term benefits (Rauscher et al, 1993)....
This topic relates to approaches to learning because some people learn best with music. I know that I must have music to concentrate or focus on my task I must complete. I know that I must have music to concentrate or focus on my task I must complete. I know because as I was doing the research for the project on the computer I used the internet radio and before I knew it my work was done. As I look back on how I mentally focus on things when I am in class, it can be hard for me to focus on subjects sometimes if it is too quiet in the room. I use this tool of music to study. I create songs of ...
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...
Students study and do work in different ways. For example, some may prefer to practice flashcards, while another might prefer to create pneumonic devices. One common study aid is to listen to music. One would assume that music would act as a great distractor to the learning process, yet it continues to be a popular way to study. In fact, a common belief is that the music increases focus and eliminates distracting background sounds. However, music’s impact on memory, as opposed to attention and focus, is usually not considered. How does the background presence of auditory stimuli, specifically music, influence memory? One aspect of music that makes it unique is its immediate familiarity and ease to which it can be remembered and engaged with. How does one’s familiarity with the music impact their ability to study? Also how does the complexity of the music impact memory?
The Mozart Effect is a study that shows listening to classical music can have positive effects on learning and attitude. This occurrence is called the Mozart Effect, and it has been proven in experiments by many scientists. This research has caused much controversy between believers and nonbelievers, because The Mozart Effect is said to enhance the brain and reasoning; it is also used to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety; it induces relaxation or sleep; and the Mozart Effect activates the body. It also claims to help in the brain development in babies and young children and in addition is thought to aid in the process of studying.
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.
Some people believe that songs with lyrics and melody can distract a student while studying, and hence, the speed of doing work will decrease. However, it must be recognized that there are other types of music, such as classical or instrumental music. These types of music promote in gaining higher concentration than compared to music with lyrics. As Cho suggests, with this state, when the brain is relaxed and calm,work is d...
"The Mozart Effect." Index Page - PositiveHealth.com - United Kingdom. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .
Think back on a time when you experienced something stressful. How did you cope with it? Recall a time when you needed to relax. What did you use to help you? Chances are your answers involve music. The desire to play music while working, studying, or even relaxing is universal. Whether playing the music, singing along, or just listening, music can have many positive effects that aren’t often recognized. Music is unique in its ability to stimulate more than just one brain hemisphere, incorporating both the right and left sides of the brain. Because both sides of the brain are being affected, there are both creative and analytical benefits to making music part of daily routines. It’s no secret that listening to or playing music is enjoyable, but studies have proven that music can boost more than just your mood.