Arousal, Mood, and The Mozart Effect

TLDR

The Mozart effect claims that listening to Mozart improves spatial ability. This study tested whether the Mozart effect arises from differences in arousal and mood. Participants performed a spatial task after listening to either a Mozart sonata, an Albinoni adagio, or silence, while their enjoyment, arousal, and mood were measured. The Mozart sonata improved spatial performance relative to silence, but this advantage disappeared when arousal and mood were statistically controlled, indicating the effect is due to arousal and mood rather than Mozart itself.

Abstract

The “Mozart effect” refers to claims that people perform better on tests of spatial abilities after listening to music composed by Mozart. We examined whether the Mozart effect is a consequence of between-condition differences in arousal and mood. Participants completed a test of spatial abilities after listening to music or sitting in silence. The music was a Mozart sonata (a pleasant and energetic piece) for some participants and an Albinoni adagio (a slow, sad piece) for others. We also measured enjoyment, arousal, and mood. Performance on the spatial task was better following the music than the silence condition, but only for participants who heard Mozart. The two music selections also induced differential responding on the enjoyment, arousal, and mood measures. Moreover, when such differences were held constant by statistical means, the Mozart effect disappeared. These findings provide compelling evidence that the Mozart effect is an artifact of arousal and mood.