The Importance of Music in the Development of Executive Functions in 6–7-Year-Old Children

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the differences in the development of executive functions in senior preschool children who are systematically engaged in music and those who are not. The study involved 236 children (Mage=78,17, SDage=4,3), 113 of whom additionally engaged in music at additional education centers. To diagnose the level of development of regulatory functions (inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory) subtests of the neuropsychological diagnostic complex NEPSY-II were used. A comparison of averages using the Mann-Whitney U-criterion revealed that children attending music schools have higher measures of auditory working memory, that is, they are better at remembering and correctly reproducing what has been listened to. They are also better able to restrain their behavioral impulses, depending on the demands of the situation, compared to those who do not additionally study music. Thus, the study demonstrated significant differences in the development of some parameters of regulatory functions in children depending on their involvement in music lessons, which emphasizes the importance of children's creative development for the formation of their cognitive abilities.