Music education reduces emotional symptoms in children: A quasi-experimental study in the Guri Program in Brazil

Bortz, Graziela; Ilari, Beatriz; Germano, Nayana Di Giuseppe; Jackowski, Andrea Parolin; Cogo-Moreira, Hugo; Lúcio, Patrícia Silva · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1101/2024.11.12.24317159

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Summary

This quasi-experimental study investigates the causal impact of formal music education on the cognitive and socioemotional development of children from underserved communities in São Paulo, Brazil. Motivated by mixed evidence regarding the transferability of musical training to executive functions and social skills—particularly in non-WEIRD populations—the researchers examined whether participation in the "Projeto Guri" music program reduced emotional symptoms and improved attention and working memory. The study specifically targeted children at risk for behavioral problems, aiming to clarify whether music education offers benefits beyond those observed in correlational or cross-sectional research. The study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 106 children aged 5–9 years, divided into a music group (n=38) and an age-matched control group (n=67). Due to ethical constraints preventing randomization, participants were recruited from Guri centers and surrounding public schools. To mitigate baseline differences in age, reactive aggression, non-verbal intelligence, and maternal education, the researchers performed sample matching, resulting in a final analytical sample of 92 children (35 in the music group, 57 in the control). The intervention consisted of weekly one-hour general music classes involving singing, movement, and instrument performance over seven months. Assessments included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for emotional and behavioral symptoms, the WISC-IV Digit-span subtest for working memory, the Peer Aggressive and Reactive Behaviors Questionnaire (PARB-Q), and the Psychological Battery for Attention Assessment (BPA). Control variables included socioeconomic status and Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices scores. The primary finding was a significant reduction in emotional symptoms among children in the music group compared to controls (F(1,89) = 4.562, p = 0.035, η² = 0.049). This indicates that the music intervention conferred specific benefits for emotional regulation. Additionally, the study identified a significant interaction with maternal education: children whose mothers had low levels of education showed gains between 0.70 and 0.95 standard deviations in divided attention in both groups, suggesting that socioeconomic factors modulate cognitive outcomes. No other significant main effects were reported for working memory, sustained attention, or aggressive behaviors in the abstract or provided text. These results contribute to the field by providing evidence that music education can positively influence emotional well-being in children from low-income backgrounds, addressing a gap in literature focused on non-Western populations. The findings suggest that music programs like Projeto Guri may serve as effective interventions for reducing emotional symptoms, particularly for vulnerable children. The study underscores the importance of considering socioeconomic variables, such as maternal education, when evaluating the cognitive and social impacts of musical training.

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• music audio mood