Rauscher's Research Points to Link between Intelligence
and Music
A research team headed by psychologist Dr. Frances Rauscher
of the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh recently completed
a study confirming the researcher’s original hypothesis
that a causal link exists between music and intelligence
and suggests that learning skills can be improved by listening
to music at an early age. As reported in the July 1998 issue
of Neurological Research the study shows that laboratory
rats exposed to the music of Mozart were able to complete
a maze more rapidly and with fewer errors than rats exposed
to minimalist music, white noise or silence during the same
period.
The current research was a follow-up to Dr. Rauscher’s
groundbreaking studies indicating how music can enhance
spatial reasoning ability. Rats were exposed in utero plus
60 days post-partum to complex music (Mozart Sonata K. 448),
minimalist music (Philip Glass), white noise or silence.
They were tested for five days, three trials per day on
a multiple T-maze. By day three, the rats exposed to Mozart
completed the maze quicker and with fewer errors than the
rats assigned to the other groups. The difference increased
in magnitude through day five. "The work has strong
implications for education and enrichment programs,"
concluded the report.
These studies, along with the earlier pioneering work of
Drs. Rauscher and Gordon Shaw, show that early experiences
determine which brain cells will connect with other brain
cells, and which one’s will die away. The researchers
emphasized the causal relationship between early music training
and the development of the neural circuitry that governs
spatial intelligence. Their studies indicate that music
training generates the neural connections used for abstract
reasoning, including those necessary for understanding mathematical
concepts.
Dr. Raucher’s most recent findings, combined with
the growing body of work in this field, solidifies AMC’s
commitment to supporting and promoting the importance of
music making for young children and its value in education.
