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The "Mozart Effect" ― Fact or
Fiction?
Recently, the
idea that listening to
classical music can
increase
intelligence,
especially in babies, has
caught the attention of
the
media, researchers, and
parents around the globe. In the
early 1990s, researchers from
France and the US published
articles that said listening to
Mozart for 10 minutes
temporarily improved
performance on
IQ tests and
challenging tasks. As a
result, the media quickly began
reporting on the
"Mozart effect."
In 1997, Don Campbell patented
the term and
published a book about
this interesting
phenomenon. Campbell
claimed that classical music
could improve health and memory,
counteract mental and
physical
disorders, and reduce
stress and
depression. He soon
followed with The
Mozart Effect for Children,
as well as CDs and
products for parents of young
children. Today,
a wide selection of
similar products is available,
including Baby Mozart and Baby
Bach, two
bestselling DVDs in the
popular Baby Einstein series.
There are even music players
specially designed for
expectant mothers to
wear on their
tummies. This way,
babies can listen to classical
music before they're even born.
However, there is some doubt
surrounding the Mozart
effect. Parents
question whether it is
a proven reality or just a
fad designed to make
money. Frances H. Rauscher, a
psychologist and author
of one of the original studies,
is
skeptical. Much of the
original research pointed to
temporary improvements
on
specific tasks. She
believes these findings have
been
incorrectly
portrayed as a general
increase in intelligence. "I
don't think it can hurt,"
Rauscher said. Yet she added
that parents may still want to
think twice before
spending a fortune
trying to make a
genius out of their
baby.
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