Classical Music and Infant Cognitive Development - Essay Example

The Mozart Effect, ical Music and Infant Cognitive Development Psychology Introduction The ‘Mozart Effect’ was first introduced and labeled as such in 1991 by Dr. Alfred Tomatis after thirty years of study. He had based his study on the concept that hearing could be used to fight depression, develop better communication skills, improve creativity and work related performance, and enhance the learning of foreign languages (The Mozart Effect). The French researcher worked with disabled children in his career as an otolaryngologist and it was due to this work that he was able to publish his first book of 14 on his theories. He has also written numerous articles expanding on the subject. Dr. Tomatis studied the way in which the brain processes that which we listen to, noting that the left brain processed what we hear with the left ear and the right brain processed that which we hear on the left. Dr. Tomatis is acknowledged has doing much work in the area of hearing and listening and at which frequency’s individuals heard. This was the majority of his work, with the actual title of the ‘Mozart effect’ theory coming by expanded research in this area (It Takes a Village). Dr. Francis Rauscher’s research focused on the relationship between music cognition and other areas of cognitive intelligence. She has earned international acclaim through her discovery of what is now considered the actual Mozart Effect, which is the foundation of many further studies. Dr. Rauschers’ research concluded that there was a direct correlation between early music instruction and a child’s abstract reading and arithmetic, and published the book, “Music and the Mind, Beyond Mozart” (It Takes…). Her study begin in an effort to determine if spatial reasoning on a human being would be similar to spatial reasoning found in a logical mathematical computer generated model, which would play certain musical sounds related to a pattern of neural firing within the brain. They initially had a schematic of the firing pattern before spatially mapping it to different pitches, timbres, and durations and were then able to hear recognizable ‘music.’ The idea then took hold that there must be ‘something between to the link between music and the type of reasoning they were mapping-spatial’ (Snyder, p40). She was called in to determine if studying music would enhance spatial reasoning in a similar manner. Spatial reasoning is used to understand how two things go together in place or time, such as chess, engineering and navigation. Rauscher’s began her research with preschoolers, initially once weekly, then twice weekly, instructing them on the keyboard. After only fifteen minutes students showed an improvement in spatial reasoning. Her research has only grown from there and she suggests that the result is not pertinent to all Western Classical music and that it isn’t only the music, singing alone would not have the same effect, she suggests that an instrument is critical. Though music instruction has been shown to improve spatial studies in school age children, what, if any, result does classical music show on the infant or toddler? Georgia Governor Zell Miller believed in the theory of music effecting cognitive ability so much that he proposed a budget allowance of 105,000 in 1998 in order to give each new child born a recording of classical music (Georgia). He believed in the connection between music and mental ability though since that time the theory has lost much of its initial steam and has actually been disproved in some cases. Don Campbell was the first to suggest that music had an effect on the infant brain. He included all music’s influence on health, intelligence, emotion and creativity and then after writing a successful book, began to market the idea. His product line is known as Mozart Effects and includes books, cd’s of classical Mozart music, and tapes of recorded voice. His book is originally what gave the Governor the inspiration and who afterwards thought that every household with small children should include one. Baby Mozart, a musical cd filled with classical recordings, and marketed under the label of Baby Einstein has also continued to experience success. The latest version I was able to locate was from 2000, and though it has been many years since its advent controversy over whether or not classical music makes any effect on the cognition abilities of an infant or toddler is still being debated and studied. Though the Mozart effect continues commercially to be marketed in different ways research shows different facts. One quantitative study studied the effects of musical reinforcement on the nutritive quality of premature infants using the bottle. Because this behavior is necessary for an infant to get enough nourishment on its own this was an important study. Infants who are neurologically immature will have increased heart rates and apneic episodes during feeding and sucking efforts may be weak at best. Energy usage burns calories and reduces oxygen, which makes feeding a premature infant difficult at times. This sucking ability is due to neurological maturity only (Standley, Cassidy, Grant, Cevasco, Szuch, Nguyen, Adams). Consistently assessment showed a pause after every 3-5 sucks by a premature infant. Mature infants suck 10-30 times before a pause and will continue to breathe while sucking. This breathing and sucking coordination does not develop until 34 weeks. Because of the infants reaction feedings at this stage will only be about 30 minutes in length. Music has shown to be effective as a means of stimulation and increasing weight gain, reducing observable stress, reducing hospitalizations by eleven days in females, and increasing oxygen saturation levels for a short while. 72% of NICU’s surveyed play music for pre-term infants. Lullabies are the music of choice by staff because of the sing-song characteristics and quality of the music and this is due to the fact that premature infants are lacking the usual voice input that they would be getting at home from parents (Standley, Cassidy, Grant, Cevasco, Szuch, Nguyen, Adams). This directly refutes the theory of classical music, at least in the case of premature infants. It is thought that infants respond to musical input because it is a comforter and stimulator much in the same way that human interaction is. It is well established in literature that pre-term infants benefit from music. Some would argue against actions such as sucking as to be cognitive in nature; however without some attention on the part of the infant they do not show such irrefutable evidence of improvement. Cognition is usually defined as pertaining to mental processes, including perception, judgment and memory. Some memory may be evident in the responsiveness to music, relating it to feeding though that is difficult if not impossible to distinguish. Music is shown to improve cognitive skills in older infant and toddlers as well, through the interaction with adults. Language acquisition of the developing toddler can depend on the interaction. Infants perceive emotional features in language from a very early age and use this knowledge to segment the stream of input into meaningful parts and to recognize words (Fonseca, Tosacano, Wermke). Researchers have found many correlations between songs and memory and singing incorporates both sides of the brain. Though the Mozart effect was originally focused on that particular artist it is thought to be the reoccurring rhythms and repetitive musical patterns which stimulate and increase spatial reasoning. Studies using the music of Bach and Schubert have shown the same effects as that of Mozart. Playing music during parent interactions can help an infant to associate music with the appearance and attention of the adult, leading them to be more alert when music is played, thus causing a positive reaction demonstrating memory and relating. Conclusion Music, by definition, is a social experience and more so with infants and toddlers. Music can therefore only enhance and enrich early language development in an already developing mind. It is known that infants are developing faster than at any other times and reaching developmental milestones each week and month. At no other time as an adult are we achieving such milestones and so quickly. Interactions with adults and the use of music can only help a child to reach these developmental milestones. References "It Takes a Village" - Frances Rauscher. (n.d.). Arlington Heights School District 25. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/superintendent/village/rauscher.php Fonseca-Mora M, Toscano-Fuentes C, Wermke K. Melodies That Help: The Relation between Language Aptitude and Musical Intelligence. Online Submission [serial online]. January 1, 2011;Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 19, 2011 Georgia Governor Zell Miller proposes writing "The Mozart effect" into law — History.com This Day in History — 1/13/1998. (n.d.). History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Retrieved December 19, 2011, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/georgia-governor-zell-miller-proposes-writing-quotthe-mozart-effectquot-into-law Snyder, N. (1995). Frances Rauscher: Music and reasoning. Teaching Music, 2(5), 40. Standley, J. M., Cassidy, J., Grant, R., Cevasco, A., Szuch, C., Nguyen, J., & ... Adams, K. (2010). The Effect of Music Reinforcement for Non-Nutritive Sucking on Nipple Feeding Of Premature Infants. Pediatric Nursing, 36(3), 138-145. The Mozart Effect - Does Piano Make You Smarter? (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2011, from http://mozart-effect.com/ Read More