The Mozart effect occurs when participants exposed to Mozart's music score better on visual-spatial tasks than nonlisteners. Because hemispheric differences may play a role in visual-spatial test performance, we used a dichotic listening task to stimulate the Mozart effect. After attending to either Mozart's music or relaxation instructions, 4 counterbalanced groups completed a paper-folding and -cutting test (PF&C) and a maze. The experimenters timed and scored the tests. Participants then repeated the same procedure attending with the same ear, but to the opposite auditory stimulus (relaxation instructions or Mozart's music). After this second condition, participants completed a different PF&C and maze. The amount of time required to complete the tests revealed no significant differences. However, Mozart's music enhanced PF&C test performance compared to the relaxation condition. Additionally, the experimenters discovered that the relaxation condition facilitated the Mozart effect.

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