“An experiment to measure the effect Baroque and Renaissance music have on problem solving ability”

Abstract: This study follows the report of the Mozart effect by Rauscher Shaw, and Ky (1993, 1995). They indicated that problem solving related skills are enhanced after listening to music composed by Mozart. The objective of this study was to examine whether other music styles of a historical period (Baroque and Renaissance) other than Mozart affect problem solving ability.

The method involved twelve participants individually undertaking a test (attempting three problem solving tests each). The experiment was counter balanced so they therefore did not all complete the same problems to the same music as each other. The participants were all selected via opportunity sampling as this could guarantee thorough and more respectable cooperation with the participants throughout the test, which would improve the results….(short extract)