## Does Music Taste Indicate Intelligence: What Research Actually Shows
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## Instrumental Music Fans Have Higher IQs
**Croatian researchers tested 467 high school students**. The results surprised everyone.
Students with **higher intelligence scores** preferred:
- **Instrumental music** (no vocals)
- **Classical and jazz**
- **Ambient/chill electronica**
- **Film soundtracks**
**The correlation is real**, but tiny. **Personality traits matter more than IQ**.
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## Harvard Debunks the Mozart Effect
**The myth**: Listening to classical music makes you smarter.
**Harvard's reality check**:
- Original "Mozart effect" was just **2.1 IQ points**
- Effect lasted only **15 minutes**
- **80% of adults** believe this myth despite no evidence
- Music lessons showed **2.7 IQ point** gain after a full year (barely significant)
> "Music training had no effect on cognitive abilities of young children."
>
> — **Samuel Mehr**, Harvard researcher
**The truth**: Smart people like instrumental music. Music doesn't make them smart.
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## SAT Scores Reveal Genre Rankings
**Actual data from student SAT scores:**
1. **Techno**: Highest scores
2. **Classic Rock**
3. **Country**
4. **Rock**
5. **Rap**
6. **R&B**
7. **Classical** (middle, not top)
8. **Alternative**
9. **Reggae**
10. **Pop**
11. **Hip Hop**
12. **Jazz**
13. **Gospel**
14. **Soca**: Lowest scores
**Plot twist**: Classical isn't at the top. **Techno listeners scored highest**.
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## Why Smart People Like Wordless Music
**Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa's theory**:
Intelligence evolved to handle **novel stimuli**. Instrumental music is more "novel" evolutionarily because **humans sang before creating instruments**.
**The correlation factors:**
- **Novel preference**: High IQ individuals seek new experiences
- **Complexity processing**: Instrumental music demands pattern recognition
- **Less distraction**: No lyrics means pure musical analysis
This mirrors how [introverts excel at deep work through sustained attention](/psychology/why-introverts-excel-at-deep-work-psychology-research-2025), preferring low-stimulation environments that enhance focus.
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## The Bottom Line
**Music preference correlates weakly with IQ**. Correlation coefficient usually under **0.1**.
**What matters more:**
- **Personality traits** (openness to experience)
- **Education level**
- **Family income**
- **Age and gender**
**Learning an instrument**: Only **10% IQ boost** according to some studies. However, [cognitive biases make us overestimate these effects](/psychology/your-brain-lies-to-you-cognitive-biases-2025) and create false correlations.
This connects to broader research on [how our brains shut down during cognitive overload](/psychology/cognitive-disengagement-multitasking-brain-shutdown), suggesting that music preferences may reflect cognitive processing styles rather than intelligence levels.
_Your playlist doesn't define your intelligence, but **instrumental music fans do score slightly higher**._
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## Sources
1. [PsyPost - Instrumental Music and Intelligence Study](https://www.psypost.org/more-intelligent-individuals-are-more-likely-to-enjoy-instrumental-music-study-finds/) - Croatian research
2. [Harvard Gazette - Muting the Mozart Effect](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/12/muting-the-mozart-effect/) - Debunking myths
3. [SAGE Journals - Intelligence and Music Preferences](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0305735616650991) - Academic research
4. [PMC - Musical Preferences Five-Factor Model](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4846047/) - Personality correlation study
5. [Classic FM - Learning Instrument IQ Study](https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/learning-musical-instrument-increases-iq-10-percent/) - 10% increase claim
