Browsing by Subject "musiikkiharrastus"

Many studies have shown that music training is connected to many cognitive skills. Recently, studies have focused on whether there could be an association between music training and executive functions. Executive functions consist of many components which can be divided to three main functions. They are inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory. It has been argued that executive functions are connected to academic skills in children. However, it is challenging to examine the association between music training and executive functions, because the definition of executive functions isn’t clear and there are many different tests to measure it. The aim of this literature review is to clarify the definition of executive functions and examine whether music training is associated with its components. The review covers only studies focused on preschool and elementary school aged children with no cognitive or developmental disorders. In general, several studies suggest that a positive association between music training and executive functions exists. The association has been examined either comparing structured music training to some other activity or musically trained children to musically untrained children. The studies showed that music training improved performance in tasks that measure inhibition, cognitive flexibility and working memory. In addition, music group performed better in most tasks compered to visual art group, science group and passive control group. However, the difference between groups wasn’t found in all of the studies when measuring inhibitory control and selective attention. Also, in one study it was noticed that the longer the participants had been training music, the better they performed in tasks which measures different components of executive functions. It seems that music training can be used to improve child’s executive function skills. Music training could play an important role for example in schools when supporting children’s executive function skills. In addition, it has been showed that executive functions are associated with subsequent academic achievement. Therefore, supporting executive functions could be a way to support school performance in general. However, it is still uncertain whether music training has some special impact compared to other activities. Therefore, more research about the subject is needed.