Listening to classical music as a baby makes you smarter.

Question

Classical music enhances cognitive development by stimulating a baby's brain.

Comments

This is a popular claim I have heard about which I wonder if is true. The source provided does include solid biological facts on the babies brains to support your claim which I found reliable. However in your title of the claim there is a small grammatical error. The "you" should be "your".

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The source you used, Virtuoso Bears, provides a good overview, but it would be more convincing if you included references to scientific studies or research papers. For example, mentioning studies that show how exposure to music can improve language skills, spatial-temporal skills, or even emotional development would strengthen your argument.

Answer 1

Listening to classical music, such as Mozart, does not make babies smarter. The idea, known as the "Mozart Effect," originated from a 1993 study by psychologist Frances Rauscher, which involved COLLEGE students not babies. found a temporary improvement in spatial reasoning tasks after listening to Mozart. However, this effect was minimal, only about one and a half IQ points.  Research has shown that this effect does not extend to children or infants. In the article by SCIAM,  Rauscher herself stated, "there is no compelling evidence that children who listen to classical music are going to have any improvement in cognitive abilities... learning to play an instrument, which has been shown to have more significant cognitive benefits. A 1997 UCLA study found that students involved in musical pursuits scored higher on SATs and reading proficiency exams compared to those with no music instruction.

Another article by McGill University  further emphasizes that the "Mozart Effect" is a scientific legend, stating, "The Mozart effect is a scientific legend. It’s the idea that playing Mozart’s music to a baby will make them smart. We know it isn’t true." The article explains how the media misinterpreted the original study's findings. The article states that while music can have many benefits for babies, including soothing effects and stimulation of sensory development, there is no evidence that passive listening to classical music increases IQ or long-term intelligence.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-babies-ex/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/mozarts-music-doesnt-make-baby-geniuses?utm_source=chatgpt.com