Comparing Mozart's Argument With Classical Music

Does classical music really help you study better? Many recent research studies show that music idoes in fact improve cognitive thinking. In 1993, researchers at the University of California at Irvine discovered the so-called Mozart Effect - that college students “who listened to ten minutes of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D major K448 before taking an IQ test scored nine points higher” than when they had sat in silence or listened to relaxation tapes. Other studies have also indicated that it doesn’t matter the artist; people retain information better if they hear classical or baroque music while studying.

If something as common as music has a significant effect on development, research can be extremely important for people trying to make informed decisions for their children. Referencing the title, I know The Incredibles made a remark insinuating that playing Mozart for a baby can make them smarter. Though the research on the Mozart Effect and IQ has shown no significant discovery, the inspiration behind this is brilliant. Music has to have some sort of effect on the brain, further than slight stimulation. There must be a reason that many kids toys, tv shows, books etc. use a lot of music; especially educational media. I know it can be very influential, but the effect it has on a child mentally and developmentally I feel can be further

In Joanne Lipman’s “A Musical Fix for U.S. Schools”, she describes the benefits music can bring to a student’s IQ that allows them to perform superior in school. Music forces a person to think differently than how they usually may in other classes. This allows for new thinking strategies to form, improving the cognitive side of the mind. This positive difference is shown when a canadian study was done with music training where the results showed an increase in IQ in the group of people children studied (Lipman). With that study, the favorable results of music is clear for children. An IQ measures the intelligence of people, which is related to the cognitive abilities of the mind, and therefore the person. People may think that music may

One of many warnings of pseudoscience is the overreliance on anecdotes.  As defined in class (Mackenzie 2016), anecdotes are unreliable sources of evidence as they are testimonials from others that generally support data gathered from a study. The research description mentioned how celebrity actress Blake Lively listened to Mozart and other classical music during her pregnancy. According to Blake Lively, this action has made her child remarkably intelligent. This is a problematic anecdote as we do not know if she “properly” followed the study. We are unsure of whether she listened to music for 30 minutes, one hour, or two hours as there is no control over the possible factors. Thus, this anecdotal evidence cannot be taken into consideration.

In order to understand, one must understand the history of the myth. The term “Mozart Effect” is commonly used to discuss the general correlation between Mozart and increased intelligence. However, this term is applicable to many different tests and relationships. For example, the Mozart Effect can be used to describe the relationship between listening to Mozart while in the womb and increased intelligence. While this is a common myth, it is not the myth discussed in this paper. I will be addressing the “Mozart Effect” based on Dr. Gordon Shaw’s theory of the Mozart Effect, which states “listening to classical music makes you smarter.” After conducting a study in which college students took an IQ test before and after listening to Mozart’s famed “Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major,” Shaw claimed that the student’s IQ increased by “as much as 9 points.” This conclusion sparked many tests, ranging from

In the 18th century, the middle class made a lot more money. During the Classical Period, the middle class had a tremendous influence on music. They wanted to hear concertos and symphonies. They wanted their children to learn great music and play instruments. The composers began writing music that was geared towards the middle class because they could make a better living if they enjoyed the music being played. They wrote music that was easier for their students to understand and play. Serious music changed into comic operas, or popular folk tunes, and dance music. This was a good thing it shaped dance and music forever. Mozart and Beethoven were both

However when the two group’s SAT test scores were compared it was found that there was no significant difference between effects on the cognitive abilities of adolescents. This suggests that listening to Mozart only produces short-term increased cognitive abilities. Both these sources refute Don Campbell’s claim that listening to Mozart can have a powerful impact on the creative and intellectual development in children (Taylor & Rowe, 2012). Any cognitive enhancement that occurs is normally minimal and is not lasting as it does not show any change in IQ or reasoning ability (Helder, 2014). Helder states that a basic principle showing that learning has occurred is proven by its repeatability. As the ‘Mozart effect’ was considered only to have a short term effect on cognitive abilities of students then it is unlikely that students could repeat what they had been taught any better than without the music as the effect only lasted 10-15 minutes (Helder, 2014). Pietschnig, Voracek and Formann (2010) state that exposure to music stimulates the section of the cortex that is responsible for spatial awareness. However this stimulation does not result in long-term change in the intellectual and creative development of humans so therefore this refutes Don Campbells claims (Pietschnig, Voracek & Formann, 2010). Sources arguing that listening to Mozart produces only short-term effects on

In modern society intelligence is highly competitive and subject to scrutiny; therefore, it is understandable that a child’s intelligence is a primary concern for many parents. The Mozart effect, popularised in the 1990s, resulted in many parents believing that simply exposing their child to music composed by Mozart would improve their intelligence (Campbell, 1997). The claim was founded by research published in the journal Nature, which suggested that spatial reasoning could be temporarily enhanced by listening to one of Mozart’s compositions for ten minutes (Rauscher, Shaw & Ky, 1993). It will be argued that there is not sufficient evidence to support the claim that playing Mozart to babies will increase their intelligence. Firstly, the

This is really fascinating research but as a mother I think I knew a lot of this. I knew my daughter could hear sounds from the second trimester on because a loud noise would make her jump inside me. I figured if she could hear what was going on outside she must be able to learn. It’s nice to have my suspicions confirmed. Although I wasn’t one to listen to classical music or read books to her in utero we did speak with her a lot. It also makes sense that if the baby is developing so quickly once they are born, as chapter 5 clearly states, that the infant must also be developing at incredible rates in utero as

Is the "Mozart effect" a fact or a myth? How can one type of music affect the intelligence of a human being?

He has influenced musical appreciation throughout the world and has created some of the best works of musical art in his time. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born January 27, 1756 in Salzburg Austria to Leopold and Maria Pertl Mozart. He was a pianist and a composer. Mozart created a string of operas, concertos, symphonies, and sonatas that shaped todays classical music. Mozart died in Vienna, Austria on December 5, 1791. Mozart made a positive impact on Musical culture by composing some of the best-known operas since the age of five. Mozart was inspired by a childhood influence of this genre of music, he composed operas since the age of five and his music influenced a scientific study called the “Mozart Effect.”

     On Sunday, December 07, 2003, I attended the Mozart and The Height of Classicism concert that was held in the Lincoln Theater of the New World Symphony orchestral academy. Conducted by Nicholas McGegan featuring pianist Robert Levin. There were two pieces of music during this concert, one of the movements was performed by the pianist alone as a solo, Mr. Robert Levin. The program’s title was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Chaconne from Idomeneo. The first piece was Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra, K. 491, Allegro, Larghetto, and Allegretto. The second piece was Symphony No. 36 in C major, K.425, “Linz”, Adagio-Allegro spiritoso, Andante, Menuetto-Trio, and

Advancement made in regard to cognitive neuroscience has enabled a better understanding of the cognitive processes in infants. Studies have indicated that cognitive development in infants starts before they are born. In the eighth week of pregnancy, fetuses have the ability to hear. They become accustomed to their

From the Top is a great organization which many individuals strongly support. This show takes place every Saturday. There is a host and young performers, mostly teens, which perform on camera and on the radio station. The host or even a famous musician introduces the performer. The performers perform, and then, (my favorite part), they comment on it afterwards. This commentary includes games, interviews with the host, and many more fun ways to engage with the young performers. Through this commentary you really learn a lot about the performers in a very fun way. The music performed by these teenagers is of a very high-level. I would expect these pieces to be performed by professionals that have been in the music industry for years upon years and yet these young children and young adults are performing these pieces with outstanding talent, surprisingly, like a professional might perform them. Through the performers’ facial expressions and

While this assumption is accepted by a majority of geneticists and behavioral scientists, there is great disagreement on the degree of influence each contributes. Arguments for environmental influences are compelling; at the same time there is growing evidence that genetic influence on intelligence is significant and substantial (Eyesenck, 1998; Mackintosh, 1998; Plomin, 1994; Steen, 1996). The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: "How is intelligence influenced by heredity and environment?"