Correlation Between Music and IQ in Children

629 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How music makes children smarter

1. Introduction
This project investigates the effect which the playing of a musical instrument – namely the drums – has on one’s intelligence and academic ability. A search of the literature reveals that studies of this kind have been conducted by other researchers in many parts of the world and has led to the conclusion that music is an extremely healthy activity to be involved in.
A study conducted on school children in America concluded that children who took voice or piano lessons had higher IQ’s at the end of the year than those who did not (Munsey, 2006). Dye (2012) reinforces this, stating that scientific research shows that studying music improves school performance. Gaser and Schlaug (2003) showed that musicians learn advanced motor and auditory skills from a young age through practicing their musical instruments. Furthermore, according to Woollaston (2013), researchers at St Andrews University concluded that the minds of musicians were quicker to react and able to find mistakes more easily than non-musicians. Indeed, three combined studies showed that musical training improves the function of certain parts of the brain and can even generate new processes in the brain (Brooks, 2013). Moreover, Alleyne states that new research suggests that regularly playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain (Alleyne, 2009).
Playing the drums and its link with IQ was specifically studied at the University of Toronto and children showed a significant improvement in IQ tests after taking drum lessons for a period of time (Weber, 2006). Moreover, Hochman states that drumming can help learners to concentrate, and grow academically (Hochman, n.d.).
Playing a musical instrument was thus shown to have a definite effect on th...

... middle of paper ...

...
- Munsey,C. 2006. American Psychological Association: Music lessons may boost IQ and grades. Date accessed 2014/04/05. http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun06/iq.aspx
- Schlaug, G; Norton, A; Overy, K & Winner, E. 2006. Wiley Online Library: Effects of Music Training of the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development. Date accessed 2014/02/09. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1360.015/full
- Weber, J. 2006. Music Explorium: Drumming Makes You Smarter! Date accessed: 2014/02/18. http://www.musicexplorium.com/DrummingSmarter.php
- Woollaston, V. 2013. Mail Online: Forget brain training: Playing a musical instrument can sharpen your thoughts – and help ward off depression and dementia. Date accessed 2014/02/18. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2435013/Forget-brain-training-Playing-musical-instrument-sharpen-thoughts--help-ward-depression-dementia.html.

Show More
Related

  • Why Band Directors Stick with it and Teach

    493 Words  | 1 Pages

    Studies show that those high school students least likely to be involved with drugs are band students. Six separate national independent studies showed students with four years of instrumental music scored 40-50% higher on their Math and English Sat scores that non –music students who had equal scores four years earlier. "Why" Music is the only subject that encompasses all seven learning intelligences. Music is one of only two subjects that "connects" the two independent sides of the brain –logical and creative. Similar studies showed that band students attend more regularly. They participate in their classrooms, look forward to and actually like school. They become more focused, more disciplined. An educated person is less likely to end up in jail, impaired by addictions, or homeless.

    Read More

  • Budget Cuts are Destroying Music Education: Music Programs are Essential to Education

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sturrock, Carrie. "Playing Music Can Be Good for Your Brain." Featured Articles from SFGate. Hearst Newspapers, 17 Nov. 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2010. .

    Read More

  • Children's Personal, Social and Emotional Development

    2056 Words  | 5 Pages

    British Psychological Society (BPS) (2013) Making music may improve young children's behavior. Available at: http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=134087&CultureCode=en (Accessed: 17 January 2014).

    Read More

  • Why Music Education Is Being Cut

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Does Playing Mozart to Babies Make Them Smarter?

    1359 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On Mozart Effect

    1246 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

  • Hidden Intellectualism Summary

    1437 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although musical intelligence is not seen as important or “truly smart” in society, it can still be powerful, and it still is a form of intelligence. Alternative forms of intelligence (those other than “book smarts” like mathematical or linguistic intelligence) are oftentimes overlooked by society. Another aspect of this piece is the view that societal intelligence is important to survival, and can just as easily be used as a reason to consider someone to be smart (Graff). If both musical intelligence and social intelligence are important facets of society, and both can be used to measure somebody’s smarts, musical education should be an appropriate addition to schooling because it has been shown to increase both. Musical education not only increases musical intelligence, but also emotional, interpersonal, and general societal

    Read More

  • How Does Music Effect The Brain?

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    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. .

    Read More

  • The Mozart Effect: Don Campbell

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Art and Music Therapy

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music and the Brain. (n.d.). Music and the Brain. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://tdlc.ucsd.edu/research/highlights/rh-music-and-brain-2011.html

    Read More

  • Article Outline

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most people believe that listening or playing music/instrument can make you smarter/increases your IQ but I believe that is not 100% accurate. I know that listening to classical music “increases” spatial abilities. I know that listening to music can make you relax and possibly make you focus better but I don’t think that it is scientifically accurate. Do you think that is true?

    Read More

  • The Effects of Music on Memory

    2780 Words  | 6 Pages

    Despite the miniscule negative effects of music on memory, the powerful ability of music to trigger memory production and recall is undeniably beneficial. The profound effect of music on memory and learning makes music a great tool for helping people who want to improve cognitive function, whether they need to receive treatment for a mental illness or learn new information. Music has proven to be a wonderful tool in the arena of improving the symptoms of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Music has the power to “shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and coordinate motor movements” (Clair). With all of these positive benefits, music is undeniably advantageous.

    Read More

  • The Healing Power of Music

    3132 Words  | 7 Pages

    In December of 1992, David Ott’s father was dying of cancer. On Christmas Eve morning he went into a coma. The family gathered in the small hospital room knowing that their beloved husband and father would not be with them long. Since it was Christmas Eve, carolers were going through the hospital quietly singing. As they walked past the room singing “Silent Night”, a single tear fell across the comatose man’s cheek. His family stated that after seeing him just lay there all day without moving, that the single tear was his way of telling them goodbye. Ott stated that “music can go where words cannot” (Griffen). Research shows that music is to the brain as physical exercise is to the human body. Some form of exercise is necessary for a healthy body. People know what to do to tone their body but do they exercise their minds regularly and properly? Do they know that listening to Mozart can help increase their memory? Music has a greater impact on human lives than we think; it assists in releasing or creating strong emotions, strengthens the brain increasing the ability to learn, and has the power to heal.

    Read More

  • Musical Instrument Essay

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    Playing a musical instrument as a hobby, boost the memory. It makes use of both parts of the brain, thus boosts memory power. Research shows that playing a musical instrument at an early age can improve learning ability and memory by arousing different patterns of the brain development. It is also linked to higher IQ levels and physical growth of certain parts of brain. Many people lose touch with their creative side. Playing a musical instrument as a hobby can foster that creativity, especially when you reach advanced levels. This is because, playing the instruments, positively affects, mental, cognitive, emotional abilities and stimulates the b...

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Music

    910 Words  | 2 Pages

    Cooper, Belle. " How Music Affects and Benefits Your Brain."lifehacker.come. N.p., 11 22 2013. Web. 3

    Read More

More about Correlation Between Music and IQ in Children

Open Document