The Mozart Effect refers to the hypothesis that listening to Mozart's music, especially his "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major" (K.

448), can temporarily enhance cognitive performance, with a particular emphasis on spatial reasoning tasks.

This concept originated from a 1993 study by Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky, which found that college students who listened to Mozart for 10 minutes before a spatial reasoning test performed better than those who did not listen to music or listened to relaxation instructions.

The proposed mechanisms include increased arousal and mood enhancement, as well as the engagement of brain regions involved in spatial processing due to the complexity and structure of Mozart's compositions .

Recent research presents a nuanced view.

A study at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya found that background classical music, including Mozart, did not significantly improve or impair learning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

However, those who regularly use music as an emotional regulator may benefit from "high-arousal" music, suggesting that individual differences and personal preferences play a critical role in the effect of music on cognitive tasks .

Similarly, a French study demonstrated that students who listened to music while reading scored significantly higher on comprehension tests than those who did not, indicating that music can enhance concentration and cognitive performance in educational contexts .

In elementary school settings, playing classical music during breaks may help students refocus and improve their learning experiences by activating both logical and emotional brain functions, potentially boosting productivity, focus, and mood .

The emotional state induced by music can increase students' receptiveness to information, making them more engaged and motivated .

For optimal results, smoother and less complex pieces, such as certain Mozart works, are recommended to support learning without causing distraction .

The Mozart Effect refers to the hypothesis that listening to Mozart's music, especially his "Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major" (K.

448), can temporarily enhance cognitive performance, with a particular emphasis on spatial reasoning tasks.

This concept originated from a 1993 study by Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky, which found that college students who listened to Mozart for 10 minutes before a spatial reasoning test performed better than those who did not listen to music or listened to relaxation instructions.

The proposed mechanisms include increased arousal and mood enhancement, as well as the engagement of brain regions involved in spatial processing due to the complexity and structure of Mozart's compositions .

Title:

Content: 4/25/23 · Research

The beneficial effects of music on memory may depend on how it is listened to

The initial results of the study of the 'Mozart effect' on neurodegeneration show that listening to classical music in the background has no benefits for learning
The research has been carried out with people experiencing mild cognitive impairment, and it did find individual differences when listening to 'high-arousal' music

Listening to 'high-arousal' music could have a positive effect on memory for people who are accustomed to using music as an emotional regulator (Image: Clem Onojeghuo, Unsplash)

Given the lack of effective treatments to counteract cognitive impairment, background music has traditionally been proposed as a possible therapeutic alternative for improving memory-related tasks. Its effect has long been the focus of debate, but this relationship has now been found to be possibly determined by new interindividual parameters, which means that it may be more complex than was previously thought. This is shown by research led by Marco Calabria, a researcher in the Cognitive Neurolab group of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), who is now considering new experiments.

The initial results of the Mozart effect and memory in patients with cognitive impairment (MEM-COG) study, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, suggest that listening to background classical music while performing memory tasks neither improves nor impairs learning levels among people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, listening to more 'high-arousal' music was found to have a possible positive effect on people who are accustomed to using music as an emotional regulator in their everyday lives, which suggests there is potential for further hypotheses and research.

The study, which has been published as open access in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, was carried out with patients at the neuropsychology unit of Barcelona's Hospital de Sant Pau, and involved researchers at the hospital, Montreal's Concordia University and Madrid's Gregorio Marañón Health Research Institute.

There is no universal effect

"We found no general impact concerning the effect of music in terms of whether it had positive or negative effects on learning in cases of MCI, but we did find that it would be modulated for each individual. If people regularly use music as an emotional regulator in their daily life, such as to help them remain calm or for company, they will find it easier to obtain further benefits from music when they have to learn something new," explained Calabria, who has a PhD in Psychobiology.

The subjects of the study were people with mild amnestic cognitive impairment, i.e. they have memory problems as a result of an onset of neurodegeneration that is more specific in the parts of the brain dealing with aspects of learning and memory. The experiments consisted of observing 24 photographs of human faces. Participants were instructed to memorize them, and 10 minutes later, they were asked to look at a new series containing the previous 24 images and 24 new ones, in order to attempt to identify the ones that they had already seen.

A classical choice

The first test was performed with the subjects listening to classical music in the information consolidation phase but not in the recovery phase, while in the second exercise it was repeated with the auditory stimulus during both phases. However, no significant differences were observed in terms of results.

Classical music was used in these exercises because "it's a type of music that falls between relaxing and arousing, and has proven to be the most effective for enhancing memory". Furthermore, the fact that it is instrumental reduces the interference (that can come from lyrics) with the content that the participants have to learn in the memory task.

A ray of light

However, Calabria's team wanted to carry out a third experiment using popular music which was considered arousing rather than relaxing, and after a preliminary study, they used an instrumental version of Un rayo de sol (A ray of light), by the group Los Diablos. In that experiment, according to Calabria, the results suggested that "the use of music as a strategy for mood regulation is associated with better performance in memory tasks."

Ongoing research

This finding opens up the possibility of further research to continue exploring the role of interindividual preferences and attitudes towards music among patients with MCI. The group plans to continue the project until late 2024.

During this time, it will investigate whether background music could be more useful in other cognitive domains, such as in attention and concentration in patients with Parkinson's disease. The experiments will also involve the use of a new infrared spectroscopy device in the Neuro Lab, one of the recently opened new laboratories at the UOC, which will show the activation at the cerebral level while cognitive processes are taking place. This will help to determine whether or not there are any alterations in the brain's modulation, in which areas this takes place, and whether it depends on the type of person studied, regardless of the level of response to music.

In overall terms, this will help to find a type of marker which determines the people most likely to benefit from music in cognitive tasks. "The more we know about how background music shapes cognitive processes, the better the use we can make of music as a therapeutic tool in cognitive stimulation," concluded Calabria, an expert in the study of cognitive processes and a member of teaching staff on the UOC's Master's Degree in Neuropsychology.

This research project receives funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain, and contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 3, Good health and well-being.

Reference article:

Calabria, Marco et al. 'Background Music and Memory in Mild Cognitive Impairment: The Role of Interindividual Differences'. 1 Jan. 2023: 815 – 829. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-221051

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Recent research presents a nuanced view.

A study at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya found that background classical music, including Mozart, did not significantly improve or impair learning in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

However, those who regularly use music as an emotional regulator may benefit from "high-arousal" music, suggesting that individual differences and personal preferences play a critical role in the effect of music on cognitive tasks .

Similarly, a French study demonstrated that students who listened to music while reading scored significantly higher on comprehension tests than those who did not, indicating that music can enhance concentration and cognitive performance in educational contexts .

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The Sound of Success: Ideas in Music for Concentration and Productivity

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Does music help you concentrate? Since we spend a lot of time in front of computers trying to finish our work, wouldn’t it be nice to listen to some of music to help concentrate? Well, music lovers, it seems like Mozart and Beethoven could actually help you with your productivity. Beethoven once said: «Music is where the spirit lives, thinks and invents.»

This relationship between music and the brain is an area that has been intensively explored in research. Many studies point to the ability of music to help employees be more productive and help children in their learning process more effectively. University research in France found that students who listened to music for an hour while reading, scored significantly higher on a questionnaire compared to a group of students who read without music.

Your attention span is better when listening to music

It seems that music for concentration puts students in a heightened emotional state, so that they can be more receptive to information. «It is possible that music causes a change in the learning environment and influenced students’ motivation to stay focused while reading, which led to better performance on a multiple-choice questionnaire,» concluded the french research team in a recent article.

But before you start playing any type, you have to find the music that works better for the type of work you are trying to carry do. For example, the classic from the Baroque period is said to do wonders for brain activity when you are studying or writing. But not all classical music is created equal, so dramatic changes and complicated fugue changes may not be as conducive as a smooth piano piece. So if you have to choose a composer, we would say Mozart. There seems to be evidence that Mozart’s improves mental performance: it is called «The Mozart Effect”.

Build a harmonious space

If you don’t like classical, the discreet sound found in ambient music may work well for you instead. What is the purpose of this if you are not at the airport, you ask? Well, for creative purposes, it’s better than emptiness and silence. According to one of its pioneers, musician Brian Eno: “Background music must be able to accommodate many levels of attention when listening, without forcing one in particular. It must be as ignorable as it is interesting ”.

In fact, researchers have shown that a moderate level of noise, such as that found in the environment, can actually get creative juices flowing. Music with especially low-lows or especially high-highs should be avoided. Certain types of jazz instrumental melodies can also get your brain working.

Music without lyrics

In general, if you are doing work that requires writing, you should avoid listening to music with lyrics as the words in a song are especially destructive to your concentration. Since hearing words activates the brain’s language center, attempting to perform tasks related to another language would be like trying to have a conversation while someone else is speaking to you. But, if you are a cartoonist, and you don’t deal with sentence construction, hearing letters may not have the same effect.

Finally, studies show that listening to music you’re already familiar with may be better if you really need to focus. New songs take you into the unknown and your brain will want to listen closely to see what comes next. With the music you are familiar with you know what to expect, so it doesn’t distract you from your work. And if you like the tune you’re listening to try not to whistle it while you work, as that will only distract you.

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In elementary school settings, playing classical music during breaks may help students refocus and improve their learning experiences by activating both logical and emotional brain functions, potentially boosting productivity, focus, and mood .

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Content: Stop Stressing and Start Listening: The Science Behind Listening to Music While Studying.

By: Morgan McCullough

With final exams approaching, Fondren Library buzzes with flipping pages, packed study rooms, and Starbucks lines stretched across the entire floor. Students isolate themselves with their laptops and AirPods, struggling to retrieve the study habits they lost during the pandemic. Their legs tap to the beat as they review the same page for the third time.

People struggle to remember basic math equations, yet have an entire repertoire of songs in the back of their head that can be triggered by just a tune. Music helps the mind find patterns necessary to process and absorb information over long periods of time, which is necessary when cramming for an exam. The sense of sound stimulates the nervous system and soothes one’s anxiety, allowing them to relax and refocus, says psychotherapist Amy Burnside.

“Any activity that activates the parasympathetic nervous system will help calm our amygdala, which is the fire alarm part of our brain,” Burnside said. “This helps us get back into our pre-frontal cortex, the part of the brain used in problem solving and analytical thoughts.”

Music exercises the mind and improves cognitive performance. It activates the left side of the brain, which is logical, analytical, and methodical, as well as the right side, which is emotional, creative, and subjective. Burnside says that an individual’s productivity, focus, and mood are enhanced through song.

SMU Junior Max Shuster says he never walks into a test without headphones. He claims listening to his favorite album sets the tempo for his entire day.

“The first song I listen to in the morning changes my mood for the rest of the day,” Shuster said. “It keeps me in the right mindset. It gets me focused, ready, and excited to take the exam.”

Many SMU students, such as Shuster, add soundtracks to their study sessions as a form of escapism. The notes playing in their ears harmonize with the notes on their pages to alleviate stress, aid concentration, and add background noise. Listening to an uplifting hymn is a transcendental experience with the power to shape mental states.

Just like a massage relaxes the muscles, a soothing song can relax the mind, reduce stress, and elevate one’s mood. SMU Senior and tennis player Kathryn Smith uses music for sports and studies. Before a match, she listens to warm-up playlists to energize her body and sharpen her skills. Smith also relies on melodies to cope with pre-test jitters.

“I usually have a lot of anxiety, especially when it comes to test anxiety,” Smith said. “Music helps relieve some of the stress of studying.”

What some find calming, others find distracting. While classical pieces are inspirational for Smith, Shuster prefers the intense beats of EDM when studying. Not everyone wants to jam to Mozart when reviewing their chemistry notes, so test out different genres to find what best suits your personal needs. No matter the artist, song, or album, music can be the ideal study buddy.

Before your next trip to the library, check out the Mustang Mixtape, a collaborative playlist filled with students’ top study anthems of the midterm season.

The emotional state induced by music can increase students' receptiveness to information, making them more engaged and motivated .

For optimal results, smoother and less complex pieces, such as certain Mozart works, are recommended to support learning without causing distraction .