Smarter people listen to instrumental music! Those who love jazz and classical genres are smarter than individuals who prefer lyrics, study finds

  • Researcher at Oxford Brookes University surveyed 467 high school students
  • Those with higher intelligence scores listened to  jazz, classical and big band  
  • Based on the Savanna-IQ hypothesis, which parallels intellect with novel stimuli

By Peter Lloyd for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Those with a musical preference for Mozart and Bach may be more intelligent than people who prefer words in their music.  

That's according to scientists who say they've found a link between brain power and instrumental music, such as classical and jazz. 

More than four-hundred students were observed for the study, which took place in Croatia and was conducted by research scholars from Oxford Brookes University.

Their results showed that people with lower intellect preferred music with lyrics, rather than complex orchestrations.

It reaffirms the popular theory by Satoshi Kanazawa, known as the Savanna-IQ hypothesis, which links intellect with novel or uncommon stimuli.  

Detailed: More than four-hundred students were observed for the study, which took place in Croatia and was conducted by research scholars from Oxford Brookes University

Detailed: More than four-hundred students were observed for the study, which took place in Croatia and was conducted by research scholars from Oxford Brookes University

The study's author, Elena Racevska, surveyed 467 teenagers by asking them to perform an intelligence test. 

They were then asked to rank musical genres in order of preference. 

Those who earned the highest IQ scores displayed a clear preference for instrumental music, it found. 

The study's author, Elena Racevska, surveyed 467 teenagers by asking them to perform an intelligence test. Then, they asked them to rank musical genres in order of preference

The study's author, Elena Racevska, surveyed 467 teenagers by asking them to perform an intelligence test. Then, they asked them to rank musical genres in order of preference

WHAT IS THE SAVANNA IQ HYPOTHESIS?

It was first presented by evolutionary psychologist, Satoshi Kanazawa. 

He coined the term for the first time in 2004. 

This principle indicates that human behaviour will always be somehow anchored in the environment in which their ancestors developed. 

The name comes form this, when early Homo sapiens evolved on the 'savanna'. 

One application of the theory is that our ancestors craved fatty and sugary foods for vital sustenance, which are now responsible for many health concerns, including diabetes.  

The theory has also been expanded and links intellect with novel or uncommon stimuli.

For example, it suggests clever people prefer more alternative music with less explicit content, such as lyrics. 

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'After reading Kanazawa's papers, one of which was on the relationship between intelligence and musical preferences, we decided to further test his hypothesis using a different set of predictors — namely, a different type of intelligence test (i.e. a nonverbal measure), and the uses of music questionnaire,' Ms Racevska said.

'We also measured a number of variables likely to have an effect in this relationship, such as taking part in extra-curricular music education, its type and duration'.

However, she also recognises that the study is limited and doesn't account for various other factors, such as  age, level of education and class.  

'Future studies could focus on untangling the relationship between complexity and novelty in shaping preferences — complexity of vocalisation is preferred by many species, which could mean that it is evolutionarily familiar,' she adds.  

'A cross-cultural study could examine and control for influences of culturally specific ways of experiencing music, and other music-related behaviours.'

The results were published in the journal Evolutionary Biological Sciences. 

LISTENING TO MOZART CAN HELP YOU FOCUS, EXPERTS CLAIM

Listening to Mozart can significantly help to focus the mind and improve brain performance, according to research.

A study found that listening to a minuet - a specific style of classical dance music - composed by Mozart increased the ability of both young and elderly people to concentrate and complete a task.

Scientists say that the findings help to prove that music plays a crucial role in human brain development.

Researchers from Harvard University took 25 boys, aged between eight and nine as well as 25 older people aged between ages 65 to 75, and made them complete a version of a Stroop task.

The Stroop task is a famous test used to investigate a person's mental performance and involves asking the participant to identify the colour of words.

The challenge is managing to identify the correct colour when the word spells out a different colour.

Both age groups were able to identify the correct colours quicker and with less errors when listening to the original Mozart music.

When dissonant music played, reaction times became significantly slower and there was a much higher rate or mistakes.

Scientists said that the brain’s natural dislike of dissonant music and the high success rate of the flowing, consonant (harmonious) music of Mozart indicate the important effect of music on cognitive function.

It also showed that consonant music could help come people ignore distractions, they added.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's is universally described as complex, melodically beautiful and rich in harmony and texture.

The Austrian composer, keyboard player, violinist, violist, and conductor died at the age of 35, and left behind more than 600 pieces.

Previous studies have found that his compositions provide cognitive benefits and scientists have referred to this as the 'Mozart Effect'.

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