This review aims to address the debate as to whether or not playing classical music enhances the cognitive development of infants. This question is raised in response to the claim made by music educator Don Campbell (1997), who states that ‘playing Mozart to babies makes them smarter’, by aiding their intellectual and creative development. It is important to determine if there is sufficient evidence behind this statement as people are paying money for their children to experience the claimed effects. This review will draw upon, analyse and interpret a range of empirical research studies involving school-aged children to adults exposed to different forms of music (including Mozart) to measure the effects. Campbell’s claim will be critically evaluated and proved otherwise that playing Mozart to babies does not improve overall intelligence. It will be argued that the empirical studies are based on children and young adults not infants, that the effects were found to be temporary and relative to specific measure on intelligence, and that other forms of music can influence spatial reasoning.
The extent of empirical evidence available concerned with testing the Mozart effect fails to include babies as participants and is instead limited to testing children to adults. A study conducted by Jones and Estell (2007) attempted to test the neurological and arousal theories of the Mozart effect and fill the gaps of previous experiments that were typically conclusive of college-aged students. The study included 86 high school participants aged between 14 and 18 who were randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group were exposed to a 7.5-minute segment of Mozart’s sonata whilst sitting quietly in a classro...
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...). The Mozart effect. (pp.13 - 30). New York: Avon Books
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Ivanov, K. V., & Geake, J. E. (2003). The Mozart effect and primary school children. Psychology of Music, 31, 405-412. DOI: 10.1177/03057356030314005
Jones, M. H., & Estell, D. B. (2007). Exploring the Mozart effect among high school students. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 1, 219-224. DOI: 10.1037/1931-3896.1.4.219.
Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., & Ky, K. N (1993). Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365, 611-611.doi: 10.1038/365611a0
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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?
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 average brain contains two percent phone numbers, three percent names, five percent knowledge gained in school, and ninety percent song lyrics (source 1). Through music, numerous positive benefits can influence and enhance the effectiveness of a child in and out of school. The most essential benefits that are enhanced, are work ethic, motivation, relaxation, sleep patterns and concentration. A study conducted by the University of California at Irvine in 1993 and again in 1995 was to study the effects of listening to Mozart for ten minutes before taking a test. The results from this study were the students who listened to music before their exams had dramatically improved their scores compared to students who did not participate in heeding to the music
Lubetzky, R., Mimouni, F., Dollberg, S., Reifen, R., Ashbel, G., & Mandel, D. (2010). Effect of music
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 Web. 15 Mar. 2014. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the Crencec, Rudi, Sarah J. Wilson, and Margot Prior. “The Cognitive And Academic Benefits Of Music To Children: Facts And Fiction.” Educational Psychology 26.4 (2006):579-594. ERIC.
Strickland, Susan J. “Music and the Brain in Childhood Development.” Childhood Education 78.2 (2002): 100-3. ProQuest. Web.
The correlation between music and individuals is a very heavily researched topic. This literature review will critically evaluate the claim made by Don Campbell (1997, p.24) that ‘playing Mozart makes babies smarter’. This review will look at the history of the Mozart effect and also look at a range of sources that support and also go against the claim that the Mozart effect makes babies smarter. These claims will be analysed through the three main measurements in relation the Mozart effect these are spatial reasoning, arousal and also mood.
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.
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.
Keikha, Aleme, Hosein Jenabadi, and Habibullah Mirshekar. "The Effect's Of Music On Increasing Motor Skills And Auditory Memory In Mental Retarded Children Aged 15-10 With 65-75IQ (Case Study)." Modern Applied Science 6.4 (2012): 106-111.
"The Mozart Effect." Index Page - PositiveHealth.com - United Kingdom. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .
Weinberger, Norman M. “Music and the Brain.” Scientific American Special Edition 16.3 (2006): 36-43. Health Source- Consumer Edition. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
Listening to music releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is known not only for improving mood but also increasing motivation and emotional stamina. But the benefits that come from listening to music affect more than just the way we feel. Studies have shown that when listening to the right style of music at the right decibel level, students have been able to concentrate better. For studying purposes, this mainly applies to classical music. Many school teachers and professors argue that music is simply distracting, or so stimulating that it inhibits a student’s ability to focus. However, when classical music has few words, or as is often found, few English words, the mind isn’t as easily distracted by the meaning or idea of the song. In fact, what is sometimes interpreted as chaotic in classical music can provide a high enough level of exertion for your brain to comprehend, that it stimulates high l...