Theories that claim that studying music improves intellectual development are not new but for the first time researchers have failed to demonstrate scientifically that relationship music activities make children more intelligent
Theories that claim that studying music improves intellectual development are not new but for the first time researchers have failed to demonstrate scientifically that relationship. The new study reveals that children who attend music classes increase their IQ three points more than those doing other extracurricular activities or do nothing after school.
To get to this discovery scientists at the University of Toronto (Canada), examined the effects that various extracurricular activities practiced in the intellectual and social development of children of six years. In total, 144 children of this age who were randomly assigned to one of four activities: singing lessons, piano lessons or keyboard lessons, drama or no lessons. The last two served as control group.
Before classes begin in September, researchers conducted a small test to measure IQ and repeated the same test after the course, after a year, since classes lasted for 36 weeks.
After this period all children in all four areas, showed an increase in IQ, which is usual after completing one school year. However, while participants in the control groups had a mean increase of 4.3 points in its ratio, the increase in children attending both singing lessons and piano was 7.0 points.
The results of the study, published in “Psychological Science”, the publication of the American Psychological Society, are the first to clearly demonstrate this association between the music and intellect, as stated by the researchers themselves.
One of the explanations that the authors of the study give this relationship is that like the simple attention in school increases IQ at these ages, music lessons, taught individually or small groups can promote a further increase because are like school classes but more fun.
In addition, music lessons involve practice and rehearsal, memorizing, learning new pieces and expression of emotions, among other things, that positively influence knowledge areas unrelated to the music itself.
The decision to conduct the study with children six years is due, as indicated in the job, at this age the brain is still developing and is more sensitive to receive new influences.
In fact, previous studies show that music lessons are related to spatial ability, reading skills, selective attention and most successful mathematicians.
Faced with singing lessons and piano, drama lessons had favorable effects on social behavior, for helping children to relate to, something not seen among music students.
