Repeat anything often enough and it will acquire the aura of truth, especially if it confirms an innate bias. The so-called 'Mozart Effect' is a shining example of this - the idea that exposure to European classical music (in particular the work of Mozart) will enhance cognitive skills in listeners of any age and will hasten brain development in young children, or even unborn children, if you believe the most ardent proponents of this belief. Still going strong more than 25 years after the term was first coined, the Mozart Effect has been among the longest-running contemporary psychological fads. It has enjoyed a following among mental health professionals, paediatricians, music educators, New Age gurus, and hi-fi enthusiasts, even though the theory enjoys scant scientific proof.
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