What is the Mozart Effect and does it make us smarter?

Is it possible to enhance the intellectual development of babies by having them listen to music?

In recent years, the so-called "Mozart effect the so-called "Mozart effect" has become very popular.. According to those who defend the existence of this phenomenon, listening to the music of the Austrian composer, or classical music in general, increases intelligence and other cognitive abilities, especially during early development.

Despite the fact that scientific research suggests that there is some truth to such claims in such claims, a review of the existing literature shows that the potential benefits of listening to music have been overstated, at least in the field of intelligence. Nevertheless, music can be very positive for people for other reasons.

What is the Mozart effect?

We know as the "Mozart effect" the hypothesis that proposes that that listening to Mozart's music increases intelligence and has cognitive cognitive benefits in infants and young children, although there arealthough there are also those who say that these effects also occur in adults.

Most of the studies that have investigated the existence of this phenomenon have focused on the K. K. Mozart sonata. have focused on Mozart's two-piano sonata K448.. Similar properties are attributed to other piano compositions by the same composer and to many similar works in terms of structure, melody, harmony and tempo.

More broadly, this concept can be used to refer to the idea that music, especially classical music, is therapeutic for people and/or enhances their intellectual capacities.

The benefits of music

The clearest beneficial effects of music are related to emotional health. Since ancient times, humans have used music as a method to reduce stress and improve mood. as a method to reduce stress and improve mood, both consciously and unknowingly.both consciously and unconsciously.

In this sense, today we speak of music therapy to refer to interventions that use music as a tool to reduce psychological distress, improve cognitive functions, develop motor skills or facilitate the acquisition of social skills, among other objectives.

Recent scientific research has confirmed much of what was previously believed: music therapy is effective for reduce the symptoms of mental disorders such as depression, dementia or schizophrenia, as well as to reduce the risk of mental disorders such as depression, dementia or schizophrenia.and also to reduce the risk of suffering Cardiovascular accidents.

History and popularization

The Mozart effect began to be popularized in the 1990s with the appearance of the book "Pourquoi Mozart?" ("Why Mozart?"), by French otolaryngologist Alfred Tomatis, who coined the term. This researcher claimed that listening to Mozart's music could have therapeutic effects on the brain and promote its development.

However, it was Don Campbell who popularized the concept, it was Don Campbell who popularized Tomatis's concept through his book "The Mozart Effect". Campbell attributed to Mozart's music beneficial properties "to heal the body, strengthen the mind and free the creative spirit," as the extended title of the book states.

Campbell's work was based on a study by researchers Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Catherine Ky published a few years earlier in the journal Nature. However, this study showed only a slight improvement in spatial reasoning up to a maximum of 15 minutes after listening to the K448 sonata.

Articles in the New York Times or Boston Globe also contributed to the current fame of the Mozart effect. After the publication of all this literature, a business started to form around musical compilations with supposed intellectual benefits, especially for children. supposed intellectual benefits, especially for childrenCampbell also wrote the book "The Mozart Effect for Children".

Research on the Mozart Effect

The claims made by Campbell and by the aforementioned articles clearly exaggerated the conclusions of the study. clearly exaggerated the conclusions of the Rauscher et al. by Rauscher et al., which found only slight evidence of a possible short-term improvement in spatial reasoning. In no sense can it be extracted from the existing research that music increases IQ, at least not directly.

In general, experts affirm that the Mozart effect is an experimental artifact that could be explained by the euphoric effects of some musical works. euphoriant effects of some musical works and by the increase in brain activation that they provoke. Both factors have been related to the improvement of cognitive functions in the short term.

Therefore, the benefits of the Mozart effect, which is real in a certain way, are not specific to the work of this author or to classical music, but are shared by many other compositions and even by very different activities, such as reading or sport.

On the other hand, and although it has not been demonstrated that listening to classical music during early development is necessarily beneficial, the practice of a musical instrument may favor emotional wellbeing and the emotional well-being of the child. may promote children's emotional well-being and cognitive development if it motivates and stimulates them. if it motivates and stimulates them intellectually. Something similar happens with other forms of art and creativity.