Relations Between Musical, Spatial and Mathematical Abilities

Abstract

<p>Relations between musical, (rhythmic, tonal and chord analysis), spatial (rotation and visualization) and mathematical (computation, number sense, reasoning, spatial discrimination, and measurement) abilities were investigated. Participants were 18 boys and 18 girls, from a grade 6 class (average age = 11.5 years). Spatial scores were significantly related to tonal abilities, and measurement scores to both tonal and rhythmic abilities, after the effects of age, sex and intellectual ability were partialled out. Males outperformed females on both measurement and two-dimensional spatial tests. The possibility of a causal connection between musical and spatial abilities is discussed, specifically whether improving mathematical and spatial abilities may enhance musical ability, or vice versa. Educational implications are also discussed with suggestions for how classroom programs could exploit this mathematical-spatial-musical relationship. The current curriculums are shown to recognize that there is a relationship between mathematical and musical abilities, and to be in tune with the present study's educational suggestions.</p>