Learning to play a musical instrument would allow children to have better control of inhibition, that is to say, to concentrate their attention on the task at hand by resisting distractions and automatic or impulsive reactions.
This is revealed by the results of a meta-analysis which appears in the November edition of the journal Cognition and carried out by doctoral student Kevin Jamey at the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal, under the direction of Professor Simone Dalla Bella.
What makes this research project unique – which is based on the analysis of 22 studies published between 1980 and 2023 and carried out with 1734 children aged 3 to 11 years old – is that it focuses on the effect of musical learning on a single cognitive ability, the control of inhibition, considered crucial in the child’s development.
Studies carried out in nine countries
Simone Dalla Bella and Kevin Jamey
Credit: John David
The corpus of 22 studies – which were carried out in nine countries – includes 8 randomized trials with a control group, considered the gold standard in research, and 14 are longitudinal studies.
From the data collected, Kevin Jamey found that learning a musical instrument provides a “medium-strong” positive effect on inhibition control.
Thus, randomized trials with a control group reveal an average effect size of 0.60, a result considered significant. “From an effect size of 0.4, we are able, for example, to make recommendations for public policy changes,” illustrates the doctoral student.
As for longitudinal studies, that is to say carried out over a longer period with a cohort of young people, the effect size remains significant although more modest, i.e. 0.36.
“These results exceed those of previous meta-analyses on the effects of musical learning transferred to executive functions in general,” comments Simone Dalla Bella. They also surpass those relating to the effectiveness of other types of cognitive training such as video games.
Distinct benefits
This positive effect of musical learning on the control of inhibition was observable independently of the age of the children who took part in one or other of the studies analyzed, of the intensity of the musical training or of the musical learning method.
“Our meta-analysis looks at various forms of musical learning, from private lessons to group lessons, and we noted that lessons incorporating individual coaching, especially outside of school, appear to have the strongest influence, since “There are fewer distractions for both the student and the teacher,” emphasizes Kevin Jamey.
The data also made it possible to determine that a minimum of 300 minutes of musical training, in total, would be enough to observe an effect on the control of inhibition. This relatively short duration suggests that even moderate musical practice can be beneficial.
Not a miracle solution, but certain potential
The authors indicate that the results of their meta-analysis do not present music as a silver bullet. “Musical learning must be guided and based on scientific results to be truly effective,” insists Simone Dalla Bella. But although music does not improve everything, it seems to have beneficial effects on certain cognitive functions that we must continue to explore.
Kevin Jamey and Simone Dalla Bella are optimistic about the potential applications of musical learning in children with developmental disabilities. “Specific forms of musical training could benefit children with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity,” they suggest.
In this regard, more randomized studies with a control group will be needed to validate the results obtained, and this is what Kevin Jamey will apply to by taking part in a research project which will last four years, in the part of a postdoctoral fellowship that he will carry out at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California.
Furthermore, Simone Dalla Bella and Kevin Jamey say they are in favor of a reintroduction of musical education in primary schools. “We are very close to being able to make the official recommendation,” they conclude. The potential benefits are too great to ignore.”
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