Effects of Music Training on Attention, Processing Speed and Cognitive Music Abilities—Findings from a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The present study addresses visual attention and processing speed in primary school children (N = 345; 7-8 years of age) who received either music (MC) or natural science training (NC) over a period of 18 months. Dependent variables were collected three times (T1-T3) and included measures for processing speed, visual attention and cognitive music abilities. They were submitted to latent or manifest change models including socioeconomic status and basic cognitive functions as covariates. Groups performed similarly in all dependent tasks at baseline (T1). MC showed significant increases in processing speed as well as in music abilities from T2 to T3 and increases in rhythmic abilities from T1 to T2. Although MC also showed increases in both processing speed and visual attention over time, they were at a small advantage with respect to the former and at a clear disadvantage with respect to the latter measure as compared to NC.

Superior fluid cognition in trained musicians

“…Processing Speed was another skill that differed in our experimental groups, F(2, 69) = 6.38, p = 0.003, η p 2 = 0.156, also consistent with prior literature (Bugos & Mostafa, 2011;Roden et al, 2014). Post-hoc comparisons showed that Music Experts (M = 138, SD = 15.5) scored significantly higher than Music Amateurs (M = 122, SD = 17.4), t(50) = 3.01, p = 0.004, and Non-Musicians (M = 118, SD = 15.4), t(32) = 3.62, p = 0.001, and there was no difference between Amateurs and Non-Musicians (p = 0.446).…”

“…The global finding that musicians scored better than non-musicians on fluid intelligence is consistent with prior literature showing superior cognition in trained musicians (Anaya et al, 2017;Bialystok & Depape, 2009;Brandler & Rammsayer, 2003;Chan et al, 1998;Franklin et al, 2008;Helmbold et al, 2005;Herdener et al, 2010;Jakobsen et al, 2008;Moreno et al, 2011;Roden et al, 2014;Schlaug, 2015). This study replicates those findings using a newer standardized battery: The National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIHTCB).…”

The Development of Musical Skills of Underprivileged Children Over the Course of 1 Year: A Study in the Context of an El Sistema-Inspired Program

“…Children in the music group outperformed control children in the PMMA tonal test, which involves frequency discrimination, pitch change detection and pitch direction ( Fancourt et al, 2013 ). These findings are consistent with previous studies that found associations between music learning and pitch processing (e.g., Orsmond and Miller, 1999 ; Schellenberg and Moreno, 2010 ; Roden et al, 2014 ). Children in the music group were also more proficient than their control peers in a task that involved producing pitches in a sequence to form a familiar melody (i.e., “Happy Birthday”).…”

Effects of musical training and culture on meter perception

“…In previous research involving simple and complex meters, musical training was uncorrelated with performance (Kalender et al, 2013) or its benefits were limited to simple meters (Hannon & Trehub, 2005a). Although the present finding is consistent with other reports of musician advantages (Penttinen, Huovinen, & Ylitalo, 2013; Roden et al, 2014), such advantages have been absent in several other studies (e.g., McAuley, Stevens, & Humphreys, 2004).…”