Listening to classical music may soothe your baby and turn her into a classical fan later in life, but it won't make her smarter. Researchers at Appalachian State University believe that they've debunked what has been called the Mozart effect, a temporary increase in intelligence experienced after listening to a piano sonata written by the famed composer.
The Mozart effect was first reported in 1993 by scientists at the University of California at Irvine, and replicated by the same group in 1995. The study (which did not look at the effect of Mozart on babies) found that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata for a few minutes before taking a test that measured spatial relationship skills did better than students who took the test after listening to another musician or no music at all.
The effect in the students was temporary (it lasted only 15 minutes) and has always been controversial. Nonetheless, the media and politicians hopped on the Mozart effect bandwagon, claiming that listening to the music offered numerous benefits and could alleviate physical and mental health problems.
Despite popular sentiment, the evidence that listening to classical music made anybody smarter was tenuous at best. The lead researcher in the original U.C. Irvine study himself said in a Forbes article that the idea that classical music can cure health problems and make babies smarter has no basis in reality, even though he believes that listening to a Mozart sonata can prime the brain to tackle mathematical tasks.
The researchers at Appalachian State University were unable to duplicate the original "Mozart effect" results and found that the presence or absence of classical music didn't significantly affect student performance on tests. Their results were published in the July 1999 issue of the journal Psychological Science.
Why Should I Choose Classical Music for My Babies?
There are many reasons to choose classical music for babies to listen to. The benefits such melodies can have on infants are many.
1. Positive on Physical Health
Unlike many kinds of music, classical songs have a calming effect upon the human mind and body. The structure and slow tunes relax the mind and, according to some studies, the heart. This can help babies sleep and improve their mental health. Babies that have a hard time sleeping and those that have suffered emotional trauma can benefit most from music.
2. Good for Language Development
There’s a strong correlation between music and language development. Young children that listen to classical music might learn to talk and to read faster. They may also develop better memories and listening skills, which are vital to learning language.
3. Able to Uplift Their Mood
One the most interesting attributes of classical music is its ability to affect and improve mental health. A study by the American Music Therapy Association showed that listening to classical rhythms stimulated the production of endorphins or natural relaxants in the brain. This improves the mood and relaxes the body. This calming effect can lead to improved mental health and increased learning abilities.
4. The Mozart Effect
The best known and most controversial benefit from classical music for babies is the Mozart Effect. The term comes from an experiment that showed listening to classical music can temporarily boost IQs and increase spatial temporal reasoning abilities. French researcher Dr. Alfred A. Tomatis, who coined the term, believed that classical music encouraged development of the brain. Some researchers believe listening to classical music encourages mental developments, while others do not. Even though the Mozart Effect may not be real, the many benefits show that classical music is good for babies. source
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