Mozart Effect Research

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.

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...

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... al. (2006) and Jones et al. (2007) then state that the Mozart effect solely improves spatial intelligence, hence with regards to Gardner’s (1999) theory of multiple intelligences, is ineffective in developing intelligence as a whole. Furthermore, Rauscher et al (1993) and Thompson et al. (2001) present research that displays only temporary increases in spatial intelligence, therefore demonstrating research is unable to support long term intellectual developments. Additionally, the study of Luby et al. (2011) displays the necessity to consider other factors that result in increases in intelligence such as parental support, in providing long term results. Therefore, examination of these pieces of literature suggests that there is limited evidence in supporting the Mozart effect in babies, and as enhancing intelligence as a whole long term, thus disproving the claim.