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Mozart effect summary
Positive effects of music on infants
Mozart effect summary
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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.
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?
In the article, Born First, Born Smarter?, researchers, Robert Zajonc and Gregory Markus, clarify and elucidate the mystery as to why firstborn children tend to have a higher intelligence than that of a subsequent child. The research given in the article was influenced by the data and findings of Belmont and Marolla, as well as other nameless researchers.
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.
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...
When my first child was born I there was considerable interest in Mozart CDs. These Cd's were marketed with the promise that playing them would enrich the intellectual and creative development of my child. Behind the popularity of selling products on such an idea is an unfortunate theme: Parenting can be done quickly and with little inconvenience. The reality is that good parenting does not require classical music, but instead time and effort.
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 third movement of Mozart’s Piano Sonata in A, K. 331 is heavily influenced by the music of Turkish Janissary bands, hence its name “Alla Turca”, literally meaning “in the Turkish style”. The style is musically reflected in the different musical elements of the movement, and the three main features which contribute to its alla turca style that will be analyzed and discussed in this essay are rhythm, melody and timbre.
The Genius of Mozart documentary it starts with Mozart’s father, Leopold Mozart, which Wolfgang Mozart had got his passion of music from. They were close with one another and developed a close bond that connected with no only Father and Son but as well as music. His father was not only his father; he was a teacher to Mozart. Mozart’s father said he was a light that was contributed to others, and that he would not belong to just one class. As Wolfgang Mozart grew up, he had to deal with an illness called arthritis. Leopold was close to his son and he knew everything about Mozart from top to bottom. Even things that we still to this day do not know about Mozart. Mozart uses music to express his emotions like many other composers do as well. Mozart
In order to make Le Nozze di Figaro appeal to the tastes of opera buffa audiences, Mozart and Da Ponte used familiar operatic conventions as well as clever, innovative musical techniques. The opera contained elements which would be familiar to many audiences, such as the use of stereotypical opera buffa characters, as well as the continuation of a plot from a previous successful opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia . Furthermore, Mozart used several inventive musical techniques to sustain the dramatic momentum all the way through the opera and ensure musical and dramatic continuity.
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...
Scientists and skeptics have different beliefs about the benefits of the Mozart Effect. Scientists found that Mozart “enhanced synchrony between the neural activity in the right frontal and left tempoparietal cortical areas of the brain,” and that this effect continued for “over 12 minutes” (Rauscher & Shaw, 1998, p. 839). Based on these results, Leng and Shaw speculated that “listening to Mozart could be stimulating the neural firing patterns in the parts of the cerebral cortex responsible for spatial-temporal skills, which subsequently enhances the spatial-temporal abilities that are housed in those parts of the cortex”[Dowd]. However nonbelievers suggest that the research is incomplete and misleading. The Irvine study that launched the phenomenon has been widely criticized. The Startling results announced by the initial paper were misleading. First, the researchers claimed that the undergraduates improved on all three spatial-reasoning tests. But as Shaw later clarified, the only enhancement came from one task—paper folding and cutting. Further, the researchers presented the data in the form...
Music is one of the few things that has remained constant through the centuries this world has existed. Not only does music provide entertainment, it also has several effects linked to it. Music allows emotions of happiness and sadness to arise. From those emotions, physical effects, negative or positive, can occur. Music has a profound effect on the emotional, social, intellectual, and physical aspects of a person.
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.
Rapid growth of the brain and nervous system continues during the early years of a child’s life, however because of birth defects or health problems some children may be at a risk of cognitive delays. Problems such as Autism, where children may have a difficult time with language skills and sensitivity to touch, behavioral problems, or chemical exposures can all affect a child’s cognitive development. For most children though with a proper diet and plenty of stimulation cognitive abilities will develop rapidly, and by about 7 years ones cognitive skills have become “functionally related to the elements of adult intelligence.”
"The Mozart Effect." Index Page - PositiveHealth.com - United Kingdom. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. .