Many people are familiar with the idea that getting babies to listen to Mozart will turn them into geniuses. This news was also reported in China in 2001.
But how did it start? A study in the early 90’s showed that performance on one task immediately after listening to Mozart improved. But this does not say anything about the long-term effects of putting on Amadeus on repeat. Another mistaken conclusion comes from confusing correlation with causation. People with high musical ability are more likely to be intelligent. But this again does not prove that listening to music will make you more intelligent.
Mozart’s music might influence performance, but anything that causes emotional arousal can have the same effect – including coffee. There is no basis to the claim that adults or children will experience any significant improvement in their cognitive ability over the long run if they listen to Mozart or any other type of music.
If you are interested in reading books about unmasking human nature, consider reading The Dichotomy of the Self, a book that explores the great psychoanalytic and philosophical ideas of our time, and what they can reveal to us about the nature of the self.