Mozart Effect Essay

The Mozart Effect: Fact or Fiction?

A demographic shift beginning in the middle of the 20th century has lead to rising incomes, more women in the work force, and a decreasing birth rate. This transition has occurred in many parts of the world. A particularly good example is that of China with their one child policy. Unlike before, the parents of the 20th Century were incentivized and recognized the value of investing more in their children. Furthermore, they now had the means to do so. This growing interest in child development has been a boon for research and an opportunity for marketers. Unfortunately, research is often repackaged or misrepresented by both the media and marketers. As a result, wide spread misconceptions can develop among the general public. Marketers will often use cherry picked research to either promote or form a pretense for a product value proposition. The actual efficacy of many of these products has been called into question. In recent years, research regarding the Mozart effect has been largely misrepresented or overestimated.

The Mozart effect is a supposed relationship between listening to Mozart’s music and an increase in intelligence. From the perspective of a parent, who only wants the best for their child, there would appear to be little downside risk. However, upon a closer examination of the literature there is little evidence to support a direct correlation between listening to Mozart and intelligence. Many of the popular trends that occur in society are the result of the bandwagon effect. The bandwagon effect is a form of groupthink whereas the more adopters of a belief there are; the more likely others will also adopt that belief. Marketers intentionally employ this type of strategy to harness...

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...accurate to refer to this as the Mozart effect as the effect can be induced through the use of music in general. The perception of any sound is going to stimulate the primary auditory cortex, and therefore increase states of arousal. Different tempos among different types of music will logically impact the amount of arousal.

In conclusion it is apparent that the Mozart effect does not actually exist in the way that it has been promoted. The effect is related to changes in arousal states from listening to music. The initial findings may indicate a researcher bias and preference for Mozart’s music. Further examination would have lead the researchers to conclude the effects are not limited to Mozart’s music. Unfortunately, this information was misrepresented and has lead to the wide spread belief that listening to Mozart’s music results in an increase in intelligence.