The “Mozart Effect” by Lisa D. Hager

Part III—Research Report Analyses

(A) Rauscher et al.

Fred and Bill did a literature review and one of the research reports they found was from Nature (see: Rauscher, F.H., et al., 1993, “Music and spatial task performance,” Nature 365: 611). Read this report and respond to the following:

1. Identify the independent variable(s).
2. Identify the dependent variable(s).
3. What aspects of the study did the researchers control? What aspects did they fail to control?
4. What were the results of the study?
5. What conclusions do the researchers reach?
6. Based on the design and results of this study, do you believe that the researchers are justified in reaching these conclusions? Why or why not?
7. Now look at the study that you and your group designed. Did you control for any of the problems present in the Rauscher et al. study? If so, what?

(B) Steele et al.

Let’s take a look at another research report that Fred and Bill found in the journal Psychological Science (see: Steele, K.M., et al., 1999, “The mystery of the Mozart Effect: Failure to replicate,” Psychological Science 10(4): 366–369). Read this report and respond to 1–6 above as they pertain to this article. In addition, point out ways in which this study is an improvement upon the Rauscher et al. study.

Copyright © 1999–2010 by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.  Please see our usage guidelines, which outline our policy concerning permissible reproduction of this work.

---