Final answer:
Listening to Mozart may enhance spatial-temporal reasoning temporarily according to the Mozart effect but does not reliably increase intelligence or memory. Research suggests that any cognitive benefits from music are more related to mood and arousal effects. Option D is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question on whether listening to Mozart enhances cognitive functions, such as intelligence or memory, is often related to the Mozart effect, a term that arose from research suggesting that listening to Mozart's music might induce a short-term improvement in the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as spatial-temporal reasoning. However, subsequent research has been mixed, with some studies indicating no significant effect on general intelligence or that the effect is temporary and the result of increased arousal and mood rather than changes in brain structure or lasting cognitive improvements.
One point of interest is a study by psychologists in 2009, which found that even the Mafa tribe in Cameroon, Africa, who had no exposure to Western culture, could recognize basic emotions in Western music, suggesting that music might have a universal language of emotions. Nonetheless, it is essential to note that recognizing emotions in music is distinct from improving cognitive abilities. Current consensus among researchers suggests that any cognitive benefits from listening to music, including Mozart's, are more likely related to enhancements in mood and arousal that can temporarily affect performance on spatial tasks, rather than long-term increases in intelligence or specific cognitive abilities like memory.
Therefore, the most closely related answer to the question is D. Enhances spatial-temporal reasoning, which, according to the Mozart effect, is temporarily improved after listening to Mozart. It does not, however, imply a lasting or significant increase in overall intelligence or memory.