Mozart Mania

Myth: Playing music such as Mozart to babies increases intelligence

Fact: Research has found that the “Mozart Effect” does not exist

The Mozart effect is defined as the “increase in brain development that occurs in children under age 3 when they listen to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart” (Skeptics’ Dictionary). The concept originated in 1993 when two physicists, Rauscher and Shaw, conducted an experiment. After a group of college students listened to Mozart, they exhibited a short-term spatial-temporal reasoning enhancement. However, despite multiple efforts, similar results were not replicated. Several years later in 1997, Rauscher and Shaw performed another experiment that uncovered the power of Mozart’s music to enhance children’s reasoning abilities:

“The experiment included three groups of preschoolers: one group received private piano/keyboard lessons and singing lessons; a second group received private computer lessons; and a third group received no training. Those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial- temporal ability than the others. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering” (Neurological Research, February 1997).

The discovery of this experiment launched a new industry, especially in the media. The Mozart effect sparked books, tapes, CDs, and programs that were not backed by extensive scientific evidence. The research of one experiment published in a scientific journal became an automatic truth. The media jumped on the bandwagon while distorting and exaggerating the not-so-scientific findings.

The experiment conducted was only a fluke. While some kids did have high scores, others scored unusually low. Current research has not found any links to the Mozart effect. However, this does not mean music and the brain do no share a connection. With additional research and more controlled experiments the link between intelligence and music may be discovered.

Ego Development:
http://www.egodevelopment.com/10-debunked-myths-myths-about-our-brain/

The Skeptics' Dictionary:
http://www.skepdic.com/mozart.html