Music Training in Childhood and Its Effects on Cognitive Abilities
Author Information
Author(s): Marie Forgeard, Ellen Winner, Andrea Norton, Gottfried Schlaug
Primary Institution: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School
Hypothesis
Does instrumental music training in childhood enhance cognitive abilities such as verbal and nonverbal reasoning?
Conclusion
Children who received instrumental music training outperformed their peers in verbal ability and nonverbal reasoning, suggesting that music training may enhance these cognitive skills.
Supporting Evidence
- Children with music training showed better fine motor skills and auditory discrimination.
- Duration of music training predicted better performance in vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning.
- Musically trained children did not outperform controls in spatial skills or phonemic awareness.
Takeaway
Kids who learn to play an instrument do better in school subjects like reading and thinking skills than kids who don't play music.
Methodology
The study compared children with at least three years of instrumental music training to a control group with no music training, assessing various cognitive abilities.
Potential Biases
Potential biases include pre-existing differences in motivation and parental involvement between groups.
Limitations
The study's correlational design does not establish causation between music training and cognitive improvements.
Participant Demographics
The participants included 59 children aged 8.73 to 11.31 years, with 41 in the instrumental group and 18 in the control group.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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