Does Playing Mozart to Babies Make Them Smarter?
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.
Don Campbell (n.d.), from the Mozart Effect Resource Centre, claims that studies show that classical music has a strong effect on the intellectual development of children from the youngest of ages. Due to the inconsistency between the mixed reviews of research and Campbell’s claim, it is essential to look deeper into the research done on this topic to discover whether Campbell’s claim is accurate.
To be selected for analysis in this review, the research must have been of great relevance to the topic, show a strong trend in the results, have a clearly structured argument and be considerably authoritative and credible; such that it has respected author/s.
Three aspects of this topic will be discussed throughout this report to analyse why the Mozart Effect is being misrepresented. The difference between music listening and music instruction will be examined, as well as the different methodologies used in literature, and an alternate explanation for why a temporary increase in IQ ...
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...his alone, it should be noted that just because an effect is seen in a certain age bracket, does not mean it applies to everyone. Therefore, since no tests have been carried out on babies regarding their spatial reasoning or intelligence, it is prejudicial to say that the given claim is true. McKelvie and Low (2002) also provide corroborative evidence that the Mozart effect does not exist in children. A mixture of years seven and eight students were put in two different listening conditions, Mozart and Aqua (repetitive dance music), and then tested for their ability to complete a spatial reasoning task. The results of this showed that both the Mozart and Aqua group similarly improved their results in the post-test situation. The design of this experiment was comparable to that of Rauscher et al. and yet McKelvie and Low still failed to replicate the original effect.
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.
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...
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?
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...
There have been many studies done to find how music influences a child’s development. The College Entrance Examination Board discovered that students who took music appreciation classes had higher verbal and math scores than those who did not take the classes. (Stephens 2003) The U.S. Department of Education found that in 25,000 secondary schools, students who were highly involved in the music program did much better in math than any other students. (Stephens 2003) These studies and more have found that involvement in music increases chi...
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...
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 position that is being argued is that music should stay in schools. This author is making the claim that music makes children excel in their education. This author uses many different sources. The author relies mainly on studies to back up his argument. The article is recent.
Have you ever wondered if classical music actually helps the brain? Or whether it can help you concentrate on the task ahead? Many studies have shown that it can reduce pain and anxiety, lower blood pressure, or even reduce crime in a certain area! So don’t wonder if you can get a better score on a test, just by listening to classical music?
Fordahl, Matthew. “Mozart Won’t Help Smarts: Studies.” Entertainment, 26 Aug. 1999: Research Library, Lexis Nexis. Web. 15 March 2011.
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. .
Researchers and neuroscientists have begun diligently studying the role of Baroque music in brain development (Coff). Many studies that have been conducted conclude that classical music intensifies the growth and memory retention of the brain (O’Donnell). The human body has also been proven to naturally respond to the beats and rhythms of music, whether positively or negatively. Music can affect the brain and body in many different ways. Classical music can increase learning abilities, change mood and spiritual awareness, and affect a person’s health.
Cooper, Belle. " How Music Affects and Benefits Your Brain."lifehacker.come. N.p., 11 22 2013. Web. 3