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The Mozart Effect

Cassandra Nieves

First-Year Program, Wagner College

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The Mozart Effect

The Mozart Effect is a study that has been misconstrued into a fantasy that one can play

classical music to their child in hopes to improve their child’s intelligence and give them an

academic edge at a young age. The Mozart Effect is often seen in the example of a pregnant

person playing music to the unborn infant or mothers playing classical music to their children,

believing it will improve intelligence. However, scientists have questioned whether there is any

concrete evidence supporting this belief that has caused a frenzy of parents playing music to give

their children an intellectual advantage.

Frances Rauscher is a psychologist who first tested what became the Mozart Effect.

Rauscher published a short paper in Nature in 1993 that first introduced this theory. The paper

involved an experiment involving 36 college students who were told to listen to various music

genres and sounds, such as relaxation tracks, Mozart, or silence during their tasks. The study

found that students who listened to Mozart showed “significant improvement in their

performance” (Swaminathan).

Despite conducting this experiment, Rauscher herself puzzled over the effects of classical

music Despite her study suggesting a possible connection between listening to Mozart and

improved cognitive skills, there seems to be no clear reason as to why playing Mozart would

improve cognitive intelligence in children. Furthermore, there seems to be no clear link between

college students examining a paper folding task and clear intelligence between children and

college students.
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Worldwide/National response to Mozart Effect - With the general misunderstanding of what the

Mozart Effect truly is, the general public view this effect as a way to help children and have used

this to their advantage. Parents are desperate to give children mental enhancement and want to

give their kids an edge over the general population, thus beginning the mass globalization of the

Mozart Effect.

This mass sensationalism of the Mozart Effect has led to the belief that has been named

“infant determinism” which is the “idea that a critical period early in development has

irreversible consequences for the rest of a child's life” (Swaminathan). This has led to leaders

around the world pushing this belief on parents. For example, Former Georgia Governor, Zell

Miller, created a mandate in 1998 that Required the state to give mothers classical music CDs as

a means to help improve the education and intellectual well-being of the residents of the state.

Additionally, Florida daycare centers are required to provide classical music for children.

However, Psychologist Christoper Chabris seems to have a differing opinion. In 1999,

Chabris analyzed 16 studies related to the Mozart Effect. He found that, despite Rauscher’s 1993

study, the IQ of those tested only improved by one and a half points, leaving him to believe that

this improvement could merely be caused by the nature of a person.

Furthermore, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany conducted a

study of the Mozart Effect through many tests and found that there was no compelling evidence

of improvement in youth intelligence through classical music. Rauscher himself stated that the

theory of classical music improving intelligence is simply a myth.

With most evidence leaving doubt about the Mozart Effect, Rauscher suggested more

effective methods of assisting developmental growth in children. Rather than playing Mozart for
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infants, Rauscher proposes a solution that better assists with cognitive performance.

Furthermore, a 1997 University of California study found that teaching children to play an

instrument at a young age can raise intelligence. This study found that, of 25,000 students, those

involved in musical activities tested higher in standardized tests, further supporting this theory.

Though many scientists believe that the Mozart Effect and the idea of being able to

improve the cognitive abilities of a child at a young age is nothing more than a myth, Chabris

believes that there is at least one way to help children developmentally. He states that parents

should spend time with children to raise social and mental intelligence. He says the key to a

successful childhood is to engage in social activity and keeping them engaged is much more

effective for the developmental years of childhood than any effects of the Mozart Effect

promises.

Despite the numerous studies disproving the Mozart Effect, Baby Genius still sells

classical CDs and equipment to parents in masses. This company and the Mozart Effect

significantly impacted the minds of parents who are desperate to properly raise their children and

give them any intellectual edge they can give, and they rely on the fact that not many know the

ineffectiveness of playing classical music and the more effective methods to assist children.

In conclusion, many studies find that the Mozart Effect has no concrete evidence to

support the importance of classical music in the developmental years. The most effective method

of parenting is to nurse social abilities and children and keep children engaged to support

developmental growth.
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Reference

Swaminathan, N. (2007). Fact or fiction? Babies exposed to classical music end up smarter.

Scientific American.