Children in the beginner and advanced music training groups significantly increased their verbal learning and retention performances, whereas no such increase was observed in the group who discontinued their music training. (2003) compared those children from the same cohort, who had just begun or continued their music training (for 1 year) with those who discontinued music training (at least 9 months prior to data collection). In a follow-up longitudinal study 1 year later, Ho et al.
Duration of music training and verbal learning performances correlated positively in this study, even after controlling for age and education level. No significant differences were observed in the visual memory tests scores, however. Moreover, children in the music group showed better verbal retention abilities (10-min delayed, 30-min delayed) than children in the control group. The music group learned approximately 20% more words from a 16-word list as compared to the non-music group. Children in the music group achieved significantly higher scores in verbal but not in visual memory tasks. Groups were matched in terms of age, education level, socio-economic background, and intelligence. (2003) compared 90 male children between the age of 6 and 15 years who were learning an instrument (for 1–5 years) with schoolmates who had not received music training. Based on the assumption of an asymmetric enhancement of the PT in response to music training, Ho et al. Whereas the left PT primarily mediates verbal memory (e.g., Frisk and Milner, 1990), the right PT primarily serves visual memory functions (e.g., Saykin et al., 1992). For example, music training has been presumed to affect the development of the planum temporale (PT), a structure within the secondary auditory cortex. Musicians and non-musicians differ with regard to specific aspects of their brain structures and functions ( Schlaug et al., 1995, 2009 Münte et al., 2002 Gaser and Schlaug, 2003 Moreno et al., 2009). In particular, verbal and visual memory skills of three cohorts of primary school children, one of which received instrumental training, were assessed three times over one and a half school years. The present study was designed to assess some of these issues further within an extended longitudinal framework. Some studies suggest that music training is beneficial for verbal memory, but less so for visual memory, while other studies have produced conflicting evidence ( Gardiner et al., 1996 Costa-Giomi, 1999 Jakobson et al., 2003). In particular, researchers have debated the benefits of music training on verbal and visual memory ( Chan et al., 1998 Costa-Giomi, 1999 Kilgour et al., 2000 Ho et al., 2003 Jakobson et al., 2003 Forgeard et al., 2008 Piro and Ortiz, 2009 Rickard et al., 2010 Moreno et al., 2011a).
Previous research has examined whether and how musical abilities might influence other cognitive functions in cross-sectional (e.g., Cheek and Smith, 1999 Butzlaff, 2000 Schellenberg, 2011) as well as in longitudinal studies ( Gardiner et al., 1996 Hyde et al., 2009 Schellenberg, 2009 Rickard et al., 2010 Moreno et al., 2011b). These findings are consistent with and extend previous research by suggesting that children receiving music training may benefit from improvements in their verbal memory skills. No differences between groups were found in the visual memory tests.
Children in the music group showed greater improvements than children in the control groups after controlling for children’s socio-economic background, age, and IQ. Significant Group by Time interactions were found in the measures of verbal memory. Each child completed verbal and visual memory tests three times over a period of 18 months. A third group of children did not receive additional training. Participants either took part in a music program with weekly 45 min sessions of instrumental lessons in small groups at school, or they received extended natural science training. This study examined the effects of a school-based instrumental training program on the development of verbal and visual memory skills in primary school children. 2Department of Psychology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.1Department of Music, Carl von Ossietzky University, Oldenburg, Germany.Ingo Roden 1*, Gunter Kreutz 1 and Stephan Bongard 2