Question: In 1993 several articles appeared in the press claiming that listening to Mozart raised one’s IQ. The articles were based on a study published in a letter to the prestigious journal nature (p611m 14 October 1993). In the study, each subject t took a IQ test under three experimental conditions: after 10 minutes of listening to Mozart, after 10 minutes of listening to a relaxation tape, and after 10 minutes of silence. Thirty-six student volunteers were used, and each experienced all three conditions. The performance was said be significantly higher after listening to Mozart.

What does this final phrase mean? How would non-statistical audience be likely to interpret it?

Three different IQ tests were used. Why was this necessary?

The tests were a pattern-analysis test, a multiple-choice matrices test, and a multiple-choice paper-folding and paper-cutting test. The article stated the following: “For our sample, these three tasks correlated at the .01 level of significance. We were thus able to treat them as equal measures of abstract reasoning ability”

Critique the quotation.

If you were conducting this study, how would you use the three different tests? In other words, what subjects would get which test when? Why would you do it this way?

It was further claimed that the pulse rates of the subjects did not change under any test conditions. What do you think this statement means?