When the music's over. Does music skill transfer to children's and young adolescents' cognitive and academic skills? A meta-analysis
Early childhood / preschool Primary school (grades 1–6) Lower secondary (grades 7–9) Music and arts training Expertise and practice
Links to claims
Supports (1)
| Claim | Basis |
|---|---|
| C35 | Full text: 38 studies, 118 effect sizes, 3,085 children and young adolescents; overall d = 0.16; against active controls d = 0.03 (CI −0.07 to 0.12, k = 54); randomised with active controls about zero (k = 22, p = .113); larger effects only in non-randomised, passive-control studies (d = 0.33). Same authors and overlapping studies as Sala & Gobet 2020 (EXP-007), so not independent support. |
Review state: first-pass draft, pending human review.
Source note
Syntes: Sala & Gobet (2017) — music training's far transfer shrinks with better study design
Källa: Sala, G. & Gobet, F. (2017). When the music's over. Does music skill transfer to children's and young adolescents' cognitive and academic skills? A meta-analysis. Educational Research Review 20, 55–67; online 2016-11-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.005
Verified content
- [full text] 38 studies from 1986–2016 met the criteria: 40 independent samples, 118 effect sizes, 3,085 participants.
- [full text] Overall d = 0.16, 95% CI [0.09, 0.22], k = 118.
- [full text] Randomised samples d = 0.09, CI [−0.01, 0.18], k = 57, p = .084; non-randomised d = 0.23, CI [0.14, 0.31], k = 61.
- [full text] Against active controls d = 0.03, CI [−0.07, 0.12], k = 54, p = .562; against do-nothing controls d = 0.25, CI [0.17, 0.34], k = 64.
- [full text] Randomised samples with active controls: printed as "d = 0.12, CI [−0.27; 0.03], k = 22, p = .113" (the sign of the point estimate appears lost in the PDF; the interval implies it is negative). Non-randomised without active controls d = 0.33, CI [0.23, 0.44], k = 29.
- [full text] Only memory (b = 0.26, p = .041) and intelligence (b = 0.30, p = .029) differed from the other outcome measures; no publication bias found (Begg and Mazumdar, p-curve, trim-and-fill).
Limits
- [assessment] Earlier and smaller than Sala & Gobet 2020 (already EXP-007), by the same authors and with overlapping studies, so it is not independent of C35's main seed. Ages run from early childhood into young adolescence.
Why it is in the library
C35 rests on the 2020 multilevel meta-analysis; this 2017 paper is the first version of the same argument and is the one most often cited in school debates. It shows the pattern C35 relies on: the better the design (random allocation, active control), the closer the effect gets to zero.
Added 2026-11-15 by the project (weekly source sweep, kind: old (major review); read: full text). [abstract] = from the published abstract; [full text] = read in the full text; [assessment] = the project's own assessment.
Metadata as recorded
- ID
- EXP-013
- Tier
- meta
- Titel
- When the music's over. Does music skill transfer to children's and young adolescents' cognitive and academic skills? A meta-analysis
- Författare
- Sala, G. & Gobet, F.
- År
- 2017 (Educational Research Review 20, 55–67; online 2016-11-28)
- Källa/DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.005
- URL
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2016.11.005
- Typ
- random-effects meta-analysis of 38 experimental studies (1986–2016; 40 samples, 118 effect sizes, 3,085 participants) of music training in children and young adolescents, on non-music cognitive and academic outcomes; moderators include randomisation and active control
- Åldersgrupp
- foralder-tidig-barndom, grundskola-lag, grundskola-hog
- Teman
- musik-och-konstutbildning;expertis-och-ovning
- Hämtad
- 2026-11-15
- Paywall
- open access (CC BY)
- Tillagd
- source sweep 2026-11-15 (kind: old (major review)); links pending human review
The original files (PDF or abstract) are kept in the project archive and are not published here.