Sounding Out the 'Mozart Effect'

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how supporters of music and the arts in education have been seeking scientific proof for the idea that music has a positive effect on the overall educational experiences of students. This paper reviews the concept of the Mozart effect, as defined by F.H. Rauscher et al.

From the Paper:

"In addition to having positive effects on spatial-temporal task ability, music has also been shown by researchers to have a positive effect on verbal memory tests. According to a study conducted at the Chinese University of Hong Kong on students ages six to fifteen, music training and exposure improves verbal memory. (Ho, Cheung & Chan 2003) The results of this study show that children with musical training leads to significantly better verbal memories in comparison to children that do not play an instrument, and these benefits are traceable even if the child quits taking lessons. This could have a specifically beneficial advantage to students' verbal SAT scores. The suggested reason for why music may have this affect on verbal memory is because "music training systematically affects memory processing in accordance with possible neuroanatomical modifications in the left temporal lobe." (Ho, Cheung & Chan 2003, 439) It is interesting to note that while music was found to have a significant positive effect on verbal memory, there was not a significant difference between the visual memory skills of musical and nonmusical students. The researchers also note that the findings of their study are not specific to Chinese or Asian student populations, because similar verbal memory findings have resulted from studies in Canada as well, where young adults with musical training showed significantly higher verbal recall skills than nonmusicians. (Ho, Cheung & Chan 2003)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Catterall, J.S. (1998, July) Does experience in the arts boost academic achievement? A response to Eisner. Art Education, 51(4), Windows on the World: 6-11.
• Costa-Giomi, E. (2004) Effects of three years of piano instruction on children's academic achievement, school performance and self-esteem. Psychology of Music, 32(2): 139-52.
• Ho, Yim-Chi, Cheung, Mei-Chun, & Chan, Agnes S. (2003) Music training improves verbal but not visual memory: Cross-sectional and longitudinal explorations in children. Neuropsychology, 17(3): 439-50.
• Ivanov, V.K. & Geake, J.G. (2003) The Mozart Effect and primary school children. Pyschology of Music, 31(4): 405-13.
• Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., & Ky, N. (1993) Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365: 611.

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