Dr. Katherine Moore, assistant professor of Psychology, Pinar Oguz ’18, and Jim Meyer, of Elmhurst College, published “Superior Fluid Cognition in Trained Musicians” in Sage Journals on Nov. 9. Their research explores the relationship between trained musicians and fluid intelligence, or the ability to think abstractly and problem solve.

Participants were tested using the National Institutes of Health’s “Toolbox Cognitive Battery,” a standardized fluid intelligence test. As hypothesized, trained musicians scored higher on the test compared to non-musicians or lesser trained musicians.

Dr. Moore, Oguz, and Meyer explained that this data not only conveys the positive effects of musical training on cognitive function, but also the versatile benefits of music education.