The Mozart Effect Essay - 931 Words

It has long been believed that music can evoke specific thoughts and feelings from the listener. But can music –specifically the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- summon hidden intelligences within the human brain? That is the question scientists are trying to answer. In the mid-nineties, scientists, Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky, claimed that music could boost the listener’s intelligence up to 9 points (Steele 2). To many, this allegation seemed a bit far-fetched and soon other researchers began recreating the Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky experiment in hopes of discrediting their findings. The conclusions that resulted confirmed that the skeptics were right: the evidence was inconclusive and revealed that music did not make the†¦show more content†¦In the replication, the researchers played disco music that had a repetitive beat instead of Mozart’s music and then measured the IQ of thirty subjects. The results of the experiment were not much different than the results of the Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky experiment. This conclusion was groundbreaking in the science world because it completely discredited the claims that music has the ability to change the way a person thinks and potentially make them smarter. After the original experiment was published, marketers took advantage of the profitability of the claims. They distributed cassettes, books, and CD’s across the globe with guarantees that if parents expose their infants to the right kind of music, it â€Å"would speed intellectual development† (Steele 3). Their promises and claims were successful and Baby Mozart CD’s are still being played through headphones around the big bellies of pregnant women. The experiments that later proved that the â€Å"Mozart Effect† did not, in fact, make a person smarter, did not have much effect on the sales of these items. After the hype of these experiments died down, Rauscher and Shaw fueled a frenzy by adding that â€Å"listening to this sonata could reverse the effects of senile dementia, epileptic seizures, and improve the maze-learning ability of rats† (Steele 3). Unfortunately, this startling claim could not be proven by any other researchersShow MoreRelatedThe Mozart Effect Essay1461 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Mozart effect† is a believe that listening to music could enhance individuals’ intelligence, and therefore lead to better performance in various spheres, such as languages and arithmetics. There are researches pointed out that listening to music while tasks performance would result in significant boost of scores. The effect of listening to Mozart’s music on spatial seasoning was looked over in 1933 by Dr. Rauscher, three common tests about abstract spatial reasoning were given to the participantsRead More The Mozart Effect Essay1215 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mozart Effect Ever since human intelligence has been a factor for survival, people have been trying to think of new, innovative ways to increase their mental capabilities. In the past, people have taken pills, prepared home-made concoctions, and have even shaven their heads to clear their minds. Even now, new ideas, such as magnetic mattresses for better blood circulation to the brain, are patented and sold promising mental wellness and stability – and making money for the inventor. WhenRead MoreEssay On Mozart Effect1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mozart Effect, broadly stated, is the idea that music can help with many other aspects of a student’s education. Its research started decades ago and is still highly debated today, with some condition to the findings. However, in Bob Duke’s article, he explains why it doesn’t matter whether of not it helps tests scores. He believes we should not be using this as an excuse for keeping music programs because there are countless better reasons. Duke’s article highly reinforced why I personally believeRead More The Mozart Effect Essay1250 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mozart Effect is a study that shows listening to classical music can have positive effects on learning and attitude. This occurrence is called the Mozart Effect, and it has been proven in experiments by many scientists. This research has caused much controversy between believers and nonbelievers, because The Mozart Effect is said to enhance the brain and reasoning; it is also used to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety; it induces relaxation or sleep; and the Mozart Effect activates the bodyRead MoreMozart Effect And Its Effect On Mental Development1479 Words   |  6 PagesThe Idea of the Mozart effect came at a time when scientists were trying to merge the aspect of psychology (the science of the mind), and neuroscience (the science of the brain). Scientists felt that music plays a major role in the learning and thinking processes (â €Å"The Mozart Effect†). The Mozart effect refers to the resultant enhanced mental performance that arises when one listens to Mozart’s music. It is suggested that listening to Mozart makes one smarter by improving their spatial intelligenceRead MoreThe Mozart Effect and Infant Intelligence1408 Words   |  6 PagesIn 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 enhancedRead MoreEssay on Psychology: The Mozart Effect1332 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluate the questionable validity of the â€Å"Mozart Effect†. The Moza rt Effect implies that playing Mozart to a baby will increase its cognitive abilities, a claim which has instigated a rapidly increasing market of â€Å"CDS to make your baby smarter†. This claim, despite having partial merit and widespread popular acceptance, is fundamentally incorrect. Through the analysis of various attempted replication studies, it is abundantly clear that the ‘Mozart Effect’ is a falsehood. This is evidenced by: theRead MoreMusic Of Mozart Effect On Children1266 Words   |  6 PagesThe â€Å"Mozart effect† is a statement based on research studies claiming that listening to the music of Mozart may produce an increase in your IQ and performance in certain types of mental tasks. This effect was applied not just to adults, but later also to unborn and postpartum babies up to 60 days old. The â€Å"Mozart effect† stemmed from research carried out in 1993 by researchers Frances H. Rauscher, Gordon L. Shaw and Katherine N. Ky at the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at UC IrvineRead MoreThe Mozart Effect of Boosting IQ863 Words   |  3 Pagesthemselves as entrepreneurs are going along with this and trying to build up their IQs because they feel it may end up helping them in the long run. This people are the ones who are motivation is the center of this book by Don Campbell called â€Å"The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit†. Music is what has a outstanding result on individuals because they tend to take time to listen to Music, and this people are the ones who possessRead MoreEssay about The mozart effect1002 Words   |  5 Pages The Mozart Effect 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 â€Å"who listened to ten minutes of Mozarts 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