91Ó°ÊÓ

Music and Divergent Thinking In a 2017 study published at PLOS.org, researchers investigated the effect of music on creativity (Ritter and Ferguson 2017). Subjects were recruited for the study using an online research participation system at a university. Four pieces of music were selected with different emotional tones: calm, happy, sad, and anxious. Subjects were randomly assigned to listen to one of these four pieces or to a group that listened to no music (silence). After 15 seconds of music (or silence) subjects were given a task that assessed their creativity and divergent thinking. Read the excerpts from the study abstract and answer the following questions. Results: Our main hypothesis was that listening to happy music, as compared to a silence control condition, facilitates divergent thinking. An independent-samples \(t\) -test was conducted to compare the happy music condition with the silence control condition on overall divergent thinking (ODT). There was a significant difference in ODT between the happy music \((\mathrm{M}=93.87, \mathrm{SD}=32.02)\) and silence \((\mathrm{M}=76.10\), \(\mathrm{SD}=32.62\) ) conditions, \(\mathrm{t}(57)=2.110, \mathrm{p}=.039\). The results suggest that listening to happy music increases performance on overall divergent thinking. a. Identify the treatment variable and the response variable. b. Was this a controlled experiment or an observational study? Explain. c. Can you conclude from that listening happy music enhances divergent thinking? Why or why not?

Step by step solution

01

Identifying the Variables

The treatment variable (independent variable) in this study is the type of music that the subjects listened to, which includes calm, happy, sad, anxious and no music. The response variable (dependent variable) is the overall divergent thinking (ODT) of the subjects.

02

Type of study

This is a controlled experiment. This conclusion is based on the fact that the researchers have direct control over the independent variable. Subjects were randomly assigned to listen to different types of music, which removes potential bias and ensures that the only systematic difference between groups is the type of music they listened to.

03

Interpreting the Results

Based on the results, there is evidence to suggest that listening to happy music can increase performance on overall divergent thinking. The p-value is .039, which is less than .05, the common threshold for statistical significance. Thus, the result is statistically significant, indicating that it is unlikely that such a difference would be observed due to chance alone.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

• Full Textbook Solutions

  Get detailed explanations and key concepts

• Unlimited Al creation

  Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

• Ads-free access

  To over 500 millions flashcards

• Money-back guarantee

  We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Divergent Thinking

In the world of psychology, divergent thinking is an important concept. It refers to the ability to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions. This type of thinking differs from convergent thinking, which aims to find a single, correct answer to a problem.
Divergent thinking plays a crucial role in problem-solving, as it encourages the exploration of multiple avenues. It is particularly useful in situations that require innovation and novel approaches. This form of thinking is highly valued in areas such as art, science, and entrepreneurship.
During research studies like the one discussed, divergent thinking is often measured using tasks that prompt participants to list as many uses as possible for a common object, or to create various solutions to a given problem. Here, listening to happy music was hypothesized to enhance such thinking, as indicated by the study's findings. The significant increase in overall divergent thinking (ODT) when subjects listened to happy music suggests that some environmental factors, like music, can positively influence creative thinking processes.

Controlled Experiment

A controlled experiment is a powerful research method used to determine cause-and-effect relationships. In such an experiment, researchers manipulate one or more variables while keeping other variables constant. This allows for the isolation of the effects of the manipulated variable(s).
In the study mentioned, participants were randomly assigned to different groups based on the type of music they listened to: calm, happy, sad, anxious, or no music at all. Here, the type of music is the independent variable, while overall divergent thinking (ODT) acts as the dependent variable.
The random assignment in this controlled experiment was key to eliminating potential biases. Since the subjects had no control over the music they listened to, any observed effects on divergent thinking can be attributed directly to the music types. This design ensures that the experimenters can confidently establish a causal link between the type of music and the degree of divergent thinking.

Independent t-test

An independent t-test is a statistical method used to determine if there is a significant difference between the means of two independent groups. It is particularly suitable for situations where researchers compare the outcomes of two separate groups on a continuous scale.
In this study, the independent t-test was used to compare the overall divergent thinking scores of participants who listened to happy music versus those who experienced silence. The results showed significant differences between these two groups, with a p-value of 0.039. This p-value indicates that the likelihood of observing the difference by chance is less than 5%, a commonly accepted threshold for significance in research.
Thus, the conclusion drawn from the independent t-test supports the hypothesis that happy music enhances divergent thinking, providing a statistical backing for the observed differences in creativity levels among participants.