Mozart Effect Hits a Sour Note

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In 1993 Frances Rauscher published a small study of spatial intelligence in Nature. To this day she can't understand how things got so out of hand. How did a paper-folding task turn into a measure of general intelligence, and how did babies get involved?

The study, which involved 36 college students, was designed to find out how a Mozart sonata, a relaxation tape, or silence would affect results in spatial reasoning tests, one of which involved paper folding. The results were mildly impressive; listening to Mozart brought about an increase of eight to nine points in spatial intelligence. The increase, however, was short-lived. Not only was the effect very specific and temporary, later studies attempting to duplicate the results failed to verify the 1993 experiment.

The test and its results made the news, and was instantly misinterpreted. According to a study of the spread and influence of the so-called Mozart Effect, Rauscher's original work became increasingly distorted and watered down as it became a part of popular culture. Chip Heath, co-author of the study that tracked the Mozart Effect's evolution said "People were less and less likely to talk about the Mozart Effect in the context of college students who were the participants in the original study, and they were more likely to talk about it with respect to babies—even though there's no scientific research linking music and intelligence in infants."

But the idea was a juggernaut, and no amount of evidence against it or lack of scientific proof for it has slowed it down. The governor of Georgia set up a plan for every new mother to be given classical music CDs, and Florida day care centers were required to pipe classical musical to the children. Books and tapes poured off the assembly lines, with anxious mothers-to-be the targets. As late as 2001, Heath found a newspaper article that referred to "numerous studies on the Mozart Effect and how it helps elementary students, high school students, and even infants increase mental performance." But no such studies have ever been conducted.

Why has the Mozart Effect remained popular in spite of a complete lack of scientific support? Heath and his colleague, Adrian Bangerter, theorized that it was a response to anxiety about children's education. They did a comparison, by state, of media coverage of the Effect, and found that interest was highest in states with the poorest educational systems. Heath likens it to an urban legend, but in reverse. An urban legend is about a problem; the Mozart Effect is about a solution. There's no truth to it, but it continues to spread.