How Arts Training Makes You Smarter

The Dana foundation funded a three-year study involving cognitive neuroscientists from seven leading universities to figure out if  training the arts makes us smarter.  The results, published in Learning, Arts and the Brain, are important for those interested in specific techniques for improving brain function and cognitive performance.

Training in the arts does make us smarter:

• Learning performance arts in general improves capacity for mental focus and attention
• Studying acting improves memory function
• Studying dance improves observational skills
• Practicing music improves geometric reasoning skills

No real surprises here but the research uncovers the mechanisms at work and separates claims of cause and effect from correlations.  In previous posts on the Next Brain Blog we discussed the powerful cognitive development effects of learning to play an instrument.

Interested to hear from readers that train in the Art and believe they get a brain boost from it.