Investigating the influence of music training on verbal memory

Taylor, Alexandra C.; Dewhurst, Stephen A.

Abstract

Previous research has shown that musical training is associated with enhanced verbal memory. The current study investigated the generality of this association by presenting undergraduates who had received musical training (n = 20) and undergraduates with no formal music training (n = 20) with four types of word list; high visual imagery, high auditory imagery, high tactile imagery, and abstract. Those who had received music training showed enhanced memory for all word lists, suggesting that music training leads to a general enhancement in verbal memory that is not restricted to specific types of words (e.g., those invoking auditory imagery). The findings support previous research in showing that music training enhances cognitive skills beyond those that are specific to the domain of music. The possible cognitive and neural factors underpinning this effect are discussed.

Citation

Taylor, A. C., & Dewhurst, S. A. (2017). Investigating the influence of music training on verbal memory. Psychology of music, 45(6), 814-820. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617690246

• Acceptance Date: Dec 22, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Feb 8, 2017
• Publication Date: 2017-11
• Deposit Date: Jan 23, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 8, 2017
• Journal: Psychology of music
• Print ISSN: 0305-7356
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-3087
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 45
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 814-820
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617690246
• Keywords: Verbal memory; Music training; Expertise; Cognition; Short-term memory
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/447391
• Publisher URL: http://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/73fZEnvMiVdIxvKjrxZE/full
• Additional Information: This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article which has been published in: Psychology of music, 2017, v.45, issue 6.