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The Mozart Effect: Arousal, Preference, and Spatial Performance

A great deal of popular attention has been given to the Mozart effect-an increase in spatial ability following listening to Mozart. Three hypotheses have been advanced to explain this association: Mozart priming the neural pathways used for spatial reasoning, Mozart generally increasing mood and aro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of aesthetics, creativity, and the arts creativity, and the arts, 2006-08, Vol.S (1), p.26-32
Main Authors: Jones, Martin H, West, Stephen D, Estell, David B
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A great deal of popular attention has been given to the Mozart effect-an increase in spatial ability following listening to Mozart. Three hypotheses have been advanced to explain this association: Mozart priming the neural pathways used for spatial reasoning, Mozart generally increasing mood and arousal and thus performance, or individuals' preference for Mozart, a different form of music, or even silence leading to an optimal mood for test-taking. The current study sought to differentiate among these three hypotheses. Data were collected from 41 college students (20 male, 21 female) assessed on a spatial relations subtest from the Stanford-Binet following exposure to either music or silence. Participants self-reported how awake they felt and their preference for their particular condition. Results indicated a positive effect of listening to Mozart, although arousal mediated this association. No effect of preference was evident. Implications for theory and application are discussed.
ISSN:1931-3896
1931-390X
DOI:10.1037/1931-3896.S.1.26