Musicians spot mistakes more quickly and accurately than
non-musicians
New research shows the cognitive benefits of even a small amount of
musical activity
New research has shown that individuals who play an instrument are
more capable at identifying errors and correcting mistakes, and that
these benefits apply to amateur musicians as well as professionals.
The study, led by Dr Ines Jentzsch for the University of St Andrews,
tested the cognitive abilities of musicians and non-musicians, with the
research concluding that learning an instrument could "slow or even
prevent" the mental decline associated with ageing.
The research, published in Neuropsychologia, draws particular
attention to the skills learnt in musical performance.
When playing pieces to an audience or to themselves musicians must
demonstrate heightened awareness of their actions: continually
monitoring their playing through auditory feedback and rapidly adjusting
their movements to anticipate possible mistakes.
The psychological and mental benefits of learning to play an
instrument have been shown in previous studies, with research
highlighting musicians' improved reaction times and their increased
capacity to "inhibit task irrelevant information" (aka, to stay
focused).
"[The results] suggest that higher levels of musical training might
result in more efficient information processing in general (indicated by
faster overall speed across tasks without accuracy tradeoff), and
confirms earlier reports indicating a positive link between mental speed
and musical ability," says Dr Jentzsch.
The research is notable in that unlike previous studies it focuses on
amateur rather than professional musicians, showing that even "moderate
levels of musical activity" were beneficial to cognitive performance.
The study also drew attention to the diminishing support for children
to learn to play in schools, noting that "in times of economic hardship,
funds for music education are often amongst the first to be cut."
"This is particularly worrying given both anecdotal and limited
research evidence suggesting that music can have strong positive effects
on our physical as well as psychological functioning."
- The Independent
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