Music and Intelligence

Paper Summary:

The paper notes the controversy about the impact of music on intelligence but discusses how studies shows that music has other positive impacts on infants and young children. The paper explores the researched effects of music on fetuses, newborns and children.

From the Paper:

"The actual research evidence on music and the baby brain is very limited. Whether or not there is a "Mozart effect" is debatable. Harvard University researchers Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland cautioned in 1999, for example: "Since 1997, we have been analyzing the research relevant to the claim that the arts lead to academic success. So far we have found no actual scientific evidence on the effect of music on infant brain development and subsequent school success." Even the original researchers at UCLA state that Tomatis did not report their findings accurately."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Alter, J. Alter (1984). A Manifesto for Creative Dance in the Schools: Arts and BodiesAre Basic. Design 85(6): 28.
• Campbell, P. S. (2002). The musical cultures of children. In L. Bresler & C. Marme Thompson (Eds), The arts in children's lives: Context, culture, and curriculum (pp. 57-69). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic.
• Dawson, G., Klinger, L. G., Panagiotides, H., Hills, D., & Spieker, S. (1992). Frontal lobe activity and affective behavior of infants of mothers with depressive symptoms. Child Development, 63, 725-737.
• Devries, P. (2004) The Extramusical Effects of Music Lessons on Preschoolers. Australian Journal of Early Childhood. 29(2) 6+.
• Fox, D.B. (2000) Music and the baby brain's early experiences. Music Educators Journal. 87(2): 23-27, S2000.

More papers on Music and Intelligence:

• Essay # 50840 : "Music and Brain Development"
• Essay # 58007 : "Genes and Intelligence"
• Essay # 23195 : "Music Teachers and Classroom Strategies"

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