A widely cited 1990s study found that students who listened to Mozart performed slightly better on spatial reasoning tasks immediately afterward — a finding popularized as the "Mozart effect." Subsequent research, however, suggests the effect is brief, small, and unrelated to Mozart specifically; any enjoyable stimulating activity produces a similar bump. The takeaway is not that music has no value, but that the original claim was overinterpreted.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- A
Mozart wrote especially stimulating music.
- Bcheck_circle
The much-publicized Mozart effect was a real but modest and misinterpreted phenomenon.
- C
Listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning.
- D
Music has no cognitive value.
Explanation
The passage carefully distinguishes a real effect from its overinterpretation — B. A oversimplifies; C contradicts the text; D is not supported.