This myth has been circulating for more than 20 years, but is it actually accurate? Although Mozart's angelic arrangements and iconic melodies might help soothe your fussy baby, health experts say the Austrian composer's symphonies have minimal effect on a child's intelligence.
Scientists maintain that listening to music does have some benefits but only temporarily. It activates cortical firing patterns in their brain which can improve cognitive function on a short-term basis. That said, Mozart's works are as effective, or non-effective, as any other classical or modern-day tune.
"There is no good evidence that listening to Mozart, or listening to anything, does anything for intelligence or cognitive skills in domains that are not musical," Harvard PhD student Samuel Mehr told Quartz. "People like to have simple answers. They have long-held ideas about scientific facts that turn out to be total bullshit."
Christopher Chabris, a researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, did a study on music's effect on cognitive performance. After closely observing 16 participants, he concluded that music improves spatial reasoning albeit inconsequentially. He said the improvements were "intermittent, small positive 'enjoyment arousal' effect."
A related study involving 8,000 British children showed that 10 minutes of Mozart's String Quintet in D Major could boost a child's ability to predict paper shapes. However, compositions from Greek pianist Yanni and songs from English rock band Blur all had similar, if not greater, effects on children.
Psychologists from Vienna University examined all studies regarding the "Mozart Effect" dating back to 1993. Their investigation led them to 40 studies done to a total of 3,000 individuals around the globe. The researchers said there has been no substantive evidence supporting the notion that Mozart make babies smart, The Telegraph reported.
"Those who listened to music, Mozart or something else - Bach, Pearl Jam - had better results than the silent group. But we already knew people perform better if they have a stimulus," explained lead researcher Jakob Pietschnig. "I recommend everyone listen to Mozart, but it's not going to improve cognitive abilities as some people hope."
