Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Music Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between musical engagement and cognitive ability in high school students. While musicians’ brains have long been of interest to those who study experience-dependent neuroplasticity, a lack of adolescent data grossly limits our understanding of the relationship between music training and observed neuroplastic changes in the brain. Advances in psychometric testing and brain imaging reveal relationships among musical expertise, changes in brain function, structure, and connectivity, and enhanced cognitive ability, but categorical groupings of dichotomously defined musicians and non-musicians prevent nuanced understanding of these complex relationships. In this study, 83 high school students responded to the Goldsmith’s Musical Sophistication Index (G-MSI), a comprehensive and continuous measure of musicianship, and completed objective music and working memory tasks. Significant positive correlations were found among G-MSI measures, between music tasks, and between working memory tasks, but cross domain relationships and predictions were limited. No significant differences were found on any objective measures between students enrolled in performance-based school music programs and those not enrolled. These findings corroborate previous research asserting a lack of causal relationships between music and cognitive ability and underscore the complex relationship between musicianship and cognitive ability. Implications and suggestions for future research are shared.

Date

10-20-2024

Committee Chair

David Saccardi

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