Question

For a paper in my cognitive psych class i must identify the independent and dependent variables in the musics affect on academic performance. The testing procedure is 10 minutes of a Mozart piece, 10 minutes of a relaxation piece, and 10 minutes of silence before an IQ quiz (Stanford-Binet intellencence scale).Three tests were given, a pattern analysis test, multiple choice matrices test, and a multiple choice paper folding and cutting test (all three were at the .01 level of signifcance). Making them equal measures of abstract reasoning ability. The results were a devation of 8-9 points higher, Mozart piece, than the other two (relaxation and silence). Thirty-six college students participated and pulse rate were taken before and after listening conditions, with only one musical sample from one composer.
State the research hypothesis.
What evidence do the researchers offer as a test of their hypothesis? Is this evidence empirical (observable)? Is it valid?

Answer 1

The research hypothesis: Music has a significant impact on academic performance.

The evidence that the researchers offer as a test of their hypothesis is the observed differences in the scores of the participants across the experimental condition. It was found that the group that listened to the Mozart piece showed better results in the IQ test. Although this is an empirical evidence, it cannot be considered valid. Firstly, unless an appropriate statistical measure such as an ANOVA is used, we cannot conclude if these differences are statistically meaningful or are simply due to chance. Secondly, the tool is measuring IQ and not academic performance. These are entirely two different constructs.