Introduction:
The Mozart effect has been circulated around in popular culture et for some time. It started in 1993 when Ruascher al, researchers at University of California, Irvine, introduced this theory. The theory that they created suggests that listening to the Mozart piano sonata K448 for only ten minutes can enhance a person’s spatial reasoning skills. This blog will delve into the Mozart Effect’s origins, research findings, and other key aspects of its history in order to decide whether it is a pseudoscience or not.
Origin of the Mozart Effect:
In 1993, Rauscher et al conducted a study showing that participants who listened to sonata K448 had a 8 to 9 point increase in their spatial reasoning IQ test compared to those who had listened to either white noise or silence. However, these effects would only last for 10 to 15 minutes. Rauscher et al also conducted an experiment on three anf four year old children: those who received 6 months of piano lessons had a 30% improvement in spatial reasoning, which was a lot compared to those who had received computer lessons or no additional training (Jenkins, 2001). These results also dissipated over the next few months after the lessons though. Rauscher emphasized that “”It’s very important to note that we did not find effects for general intelligence,” Rauscher says, “just for this one aspect of intelligence. It’s a small gain and it doesn’t last very long”(Classic FM, 2018). The media was one of the main ways that this theory became popular, but it was blown up and generalized in the process. Now, the Mozart Effect means much more than just the temporary boost in spatial reasoning after listening to the sonata. It is believed that the effect can boost general intelligence in people who listen to Mozart longterm.
Surprising subject- Rats in utero:
Unexpectedly, a later study related to the mozart effect was conducted on rats in utero. One group of pregnant rats was exposed to the Mozart Sonata and the other wasn’t. The offspring of the musically-exposed rats navigated a maze faster than their counterparts without the auditory stimulation (Classic FM, 2018). The experiment only added to the mystery surrounding the Mozart effect since it contradicted the short-termness of the results of human studies.
Conclusion:
There is currently no concrete evidence of the Mozart effect being what it is claimed to be, but there have been studies that may prove some things. It has many controversies built into its claims and origins, so the next blog will analyze them and decide if most of the evidence proves it to be pseudoscience or real science.
Jenkins, J. S. (2001). The Mozart effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94(4), 170–172. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/
The “Mozart effect”: will classical music really make your baby smarter? (2018). Classic FM. https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/the-mozart-effect/#:~:text=The%20