Field Research – Baby Einstein and Mozart Effect

Week Two Assignment

PSYCH/600 – Developmental Psychology

December 1, 2014

Introduction Learning through the use of music has been a crucial part of development in every society as far back as the Stone Age. Music, in all its forms, has been a staple in every culture, bringing communities together and connecting generation to generation. According to McBride, “The oral tradition of simple children's songs, folk songs, and lullabies is quickly being lost, replaced by commercially produced popular and rock music as more and more people rely on recorded music rather than singing or playing music for themselves and others” (2002). Baby Einstein videos claim to enhance infant’s knowledge, making them smarter, happier babies. This paper will delve into Baby Einstein’s claims, research rebuttals, and ethical impact as laid out by the American Psychological Association.
Area of Development Baby Einstein videos are marketed by Disney Corporation with the slogan “Great minds start little” (babyeinstein.com, 2014). Marketing makes claims that Baby Einstein videos are made to enhance multiple areas such as music, art, language, nature and shapes/numbers. The videos develop the infant’s music skills by enhancing the infant’s rhythm, pitch, and harmony, icon; art through bright, real life picture that have true association. Language is developed through “words, written or spoken, are presented in three languages – English, Spanish and French – so babies are exposed from the start to rich, varied vocabulary” (2014). Many Baby Einstein videos integrate nature and animals to stimulate infant’s nature fascination with their environment and various animals. Shapes and numbers are taught through introduction of counting everyday objects such as books, food, and are meant to encourage the “exploration of the world (2014).

Field Research Research conducted of Baby Einstein on the University of Phoenix library website brought up multiple articles on the Mozart Effect. The Mozart Effect was developed by Don Campbell, the author of books such as, “The Mozart Effect” and “The Mozart Effect for Children.” He claimed, along with other critics, that listening to music, specifically classical music by composers such as Mozart, enhanced a person’s memory and thought process, making them smarter. The premise is that music, as a whole, stimulates certain parts of the brain and ultimately raising their intelligence level. Dowd states that “Einstein loved Mozart's highly organized, intensely patterned sonatas. He felt, as many before him, that music and the reasoning intellect were linked” (2008). The opposing side refutes the claim that is set forth by the Mozart Effect. According to McKelvie, earlier research confirming the correlation between music and knowledge was debunked. “While Rauscher, Shaw, and colleagues view their findings as a demonstration of a causal relationship between listening to Mozart's music and subsequent enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning, replications outside their laboratory have been less encouraging” (McKelvie, 2002).
Supporting Evidence There is limited evidence to support the claim set forth by Baby Einstein and the Disney Corporation. True educational research is limited and partially biased. Ethical Claims A psychologist who supported the claims and received payment based on the sales of the product would be in violation of Standard 5.04, according to the Code of Ethics outlined by the American Psychological Association. This particular standard states that, “When psychologists provide public advice or comment via print, Internet or other electronic transmission, they take precautions to ensure that statements (1) are based on their professional knowledge, training or experience in accord with appropriate psychological literature and practice; (2) are otherwise consistent with this Ethics Code” (2014).
Conclusion
There is limited research to support the claims set for by Baby Einstein. While commercials and testimonials might make a parent feel good about their decision to purchase Baby Einstein videos for enhancement, it is unlikely that there is a significant relationship between increased gray matter and the Mozart Effect.

References

Abrahams, M. (2009, Jul 14). Education: Improbable research: Baby genius videos make money, not sense. The Guardian Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/244415434?accountid=458.

American Psychological Association. (2014). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Dowd, W. (2008). The myth of the Mozart effect. Skeptic, 13, 21-23, 80.

Fidler, A. E., Zack, E., & Barr, R. (2010). Television Viewing Patterns in 6- to 18-Month-Olds: The Role of Caregiver-Infant Interactional Quality. Infancy, 15(2), 176-196.

McBride, J. (2002). The Mozart Effect for Children (Book). Notes, 58(3), 608.

McKelvie, P., & Low, J. (2002). Listening to Mozart does not improve children's spatial ability: Final curtains for the Mozart effect. The British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20, 241.