The Effects of Listening to Mozart on Sixth Grade Students' Social Studies Test Scores

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any effects on social studies content and skills test scores of sixth grade students who listened to Mozart's music while taking the same test as students who did not listen to the music of Mozart. The subjects were in two sixth grade social studies classes. The treatment variable was the music tape, Music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The music that was played was Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major. This was a counterbalanced quasi-experimental design. This design was chosen because students were in their existing, intact classes. Both groups received the music treatment but in a different order. Students in the first period had Mozart's music playing in the background during the content portion of the test. Students in period two were also administered the content portion of the test the same morning but without the music playing in the background. The following day the skills portion of the test was administered to both periods. Students in period one did not listen to music during the skills portion of the test, however, music was played for students in period two during the skills portion of the test. When analyzing the data, it was found that listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major was not significant in promoting the retention of the content information. There was a slight increase in test scores on the skills portion of the test.