Attention In Conservatoire Students Using Body Percussion Following The Bapne Method

Abstract

The aim of the current investigation is to show by means of a quantitative study the possible improvement in attention levels and to discover if anxiety levels can be reduced in elementary grade students in a music school using psychomotor stimulation in practice of body percussion following the BAPNE method. The study has been based on a protocol with a total of N=61 subjects, divided between an experimental group and a control group, all with similar socioeconomic and educational characteristics in the Valencian Community (Spain). The intervention was carried out across 24 weeks using a programme of Neuromotricity following the BAPNE method. The experimental group took part for 50 minutes twice a week. The control group continued with their normal routines and were not subject to any change in their academic and cognitive development. The methodology used was basic quasi-experimental in its design using collection of pre- and post-test sample measurements, before and after the method was implemented. Subsequently, statistical analysis was carried out. This was factorial in design and considered the measurements taken before and after. Analysis of the results shows a notable improvement in cognitive skills involving attention after the post-test of the experimental group. A reduction in levels of anxiety can also be seen. Both are key factors in effective teaching and learning.

Keywords: Anxietyattentionbody percussionexecutive functionsmotor controlmusic

Introduction

Processes involving attention are involved in, and indeed crucial to, many of the situations in our daily life. In fact, nowadays, easy access to computers, tablets, telephones, mobile devices, which are all interconnected through the Internet, has caused a radical change in the way we access information, the dynamics of social interaction, learning and in entertainment. In some way, it has also influenced our brains (Small, Moody, Siddarth, & Bookheimer, 2009).

Similarly, inappropriate use of technological tools, as well as the information that is now available, can alter the development of children and increase their risk of suffering from behaviour disorders or attention deficit disorders (Swing, Gentile, & Anderson, 2010; Christakis, Zimmerman, & Di Giuseppe, 2004; Bilbao, 2015).

An understanding of what is going on the brain when it is learning, and what is beneath the learning and memorisation process, or how age, genetics, environment or emotion can affect this process by means of the latest scientific discoveries, are all essential to plan and perfect new educational strategies targeting a wide range of different needs (Blakemore & Frith, 2005).

From this perspective, and especially within the field of education where we know that attention is directly involved in executive processes and the active manipulation of information (García Sevilla, 1997), a key priority for educational professionals is the development of activities and strategies that stimulate the attentional mechanism and the different forms of attention to facilitate teaching and learning.

In this regard, BAPNE is a method of socioemotional, psychomotor and neuro-rehabilitative stimulation and is based on the theory of Multiple Intelligences. Various different authors mention that this methodology:

Allows us to work not just on physical bodily aspects, but also on cognitive and emotional aspects. Performing repetitive movements along with song stimulates different areas of the brain in both hemispheres which are linked to superior motor and cognitive functions. These include planning and/or attention. These activities, if conducted correctly by the trainer, stimulate an increase in the secretion levels of certain neurotransmitters such as dopamine and oxytocin. These are reinforced by the neurotransmitters themselves and foster an appropriate group environment which is beneficial for all those participating (Jauset-Berrocal, Tripkovic, & Romero-Naranjo, 2014, p. 1684).

The aim of the present study is to show by means of a qualitative study the improvements in levels of selective attention in students in primary education in the conservatoire in Ágora Lledó International School de Castellón (Spain) which arise as a result of cognitive, socioemotional and psychomotor stimulation by means of the distinct body percussion activities found in the BAPNE Method. This aim follows a wide-ranging bibliographic review which showed that, for now, no study has been conducted into body percussion with a group which is studying music formally.

The assessment of attention levels was carried out by using the D2 (Brickenkamp, 1994) and CORSI BLOCK-TAPPING (Wechsler, 2004) tests, which allow measurements to be taken of selective attention.

It is thus important to point out that the systematic use of body percussion using the BAPNE Method activities can lead to improved attention levels (Carretero-Martínez, Romero-Naranjo, Pons-Terrés, & Crespo-Colomino, 2014).

Problem Statement

Through exhaustive searching on different academic meta-search engines (Web of Science, Eric, CSIC, Scopus, Redired, Proquest, SCImago JR, JSTOR) we can see that several authors address the subject of attention and its link to musical education in primary education (León, 2018; Wang, Ossher, & Reuter-Lorenz, 2015).

The tests used to assess both groups were ENFEN, D2, CORSI BLOCK-TAPPING, CARAS-R and STAIC and these were conducted by Ruth Gasparini Berenguer, a neuropsychologist at Alicante General Hospital. However, due to the precise nature of this conference, and the word limit of this article, we will focus on the significant results obtained using the D2 and CORSI BLOCK-TAPPING tests. In future publications, the results of other tests carried out will be set out.

There are numerous written pieces about body percussion, however, very few are justified and measured. The BAPNE® Method can be singled out as a systematic method which is based on neuropsychology and which experimentally proves the possible cognitive stimulation by use of validated tests (Trives-Martínez et al., 2014; Díaz Pérez, 2016; Romero-Naranjo, 2013). For this reason, a search was carried out on review articles about this subject (Romero-Naranjo, 2013).

Research Questions

Do students in their first and second year of primary conservatoire study improve their attention levels significantly through neuromotricity using the BAPNE® Method compared to those who have not participated?

Purpose of the Study

To study the effect of the BAPNE® method on the attentional processes in a pilot group undertaking primary conservatoire studies

To check the viability of use of the BAPNE® Method in a pilot group to then use it in significant future investigations.

Research Methods

Findings

The analysis of the data used the t-Student test to compare mean averages for independent samples, and a level of statistical significance of 0.05 was used. The statistical software used was IBM SPSS v.24 for Mac. The graphs and tables have been made using Microsoft Excel for Mac for greater aesthetic appeal.

There are no statistically significant differences between the control and the experimental groups when conducting the pre-test. However, there are statistically significant differences when conducting the post-test in the total number of responses (TR, p=0.016) showing a difference in mean averages of 52.705, in the total number of correct answers (TCA, p<0.001) with a difference of mean averages of 40.535, in omissions (O, p=0.044) and a difference of -21.692, and in the commissions variable (C, p=0.018) where the difference in mean averages between the control group and the experimental group is -18.069 (Table 1 and 2). In the specific case of the omissions, the number of omissions in the control group was three times higher than in the experimental group (Figure 1 ).

Statistically significant differences were also found when calculating the mean average of the differences between the post-test minus the pre-test for each one of the groups in the variables TR, TCA, TR+ y TR- (p-value: 0.001, <0.001, 0.028, 0.002 respectively).

See Full Size >

Corsi block-tapping

Statistically significant differences were found in the difference in mean averages of the experimental group and the control group when conducting the post-test on all the variables measured. Statistically significant differences were also found between the two groups when calculating the difference between the post- and pre-tests. In the post-tests, we find differences in the score in forward order (SFO, p=0.023), in the score in backward order (SBO, p<0.001), in the total score (TS, p=0.001), numbers memorised in forward order (FO+, p=0.002) and in numbers memorised in backward order (BO+, p=0.004) (Table 3 and 4). For the total score variable, the value in the experimental group was almost four times higher than in the experimental group (Figure 2 ).

See Full Size >

See Full Size >

See Full Size >

Conclusion

This study and the results obtained allow us to state that the information obtained in the D2 and CORSI BLOCK-TAPPING test in terms of the development of selective attention was satisfactory. Consequently, we can confirm the viability of using the BAPNE Method as a neuromotor programme for the stimulation of executive functions in the population under study.

After the application of the neuromotor programme, the attentional aspects of children in their first and second years of primary conservatoire education were analysed. The group undertaking BAPNE activities obtained statistically significant improved scores in selective attention, thus confirming the initial hypothesis.

By analysing the data obtained, we can confirm that the differences found between the control group and the experimental group, both in the pre- and post-test phases, in all variables, are notable for their lack of homogeneity.

The duration of this programme was 6 months, but it would be useful in future studies to plan for 12 months. This would allow the data to be more significant and reliable.

In conclusion, this pilot study with a sample of 61 participants (27 in the experimental group and 34 in the control group) sets out a viable line of future investigation which could further confirm the improvement in selective attention brought about. It also proves the benefits that the BAPNE® Method can bring to this line of investigation.

References

1. Bilbao, A. (2015). El cerebro del niño explicado a los padres. Barcelona, España: Plataforma Editorial.
2. Blakemore, S.J., & Frith, U. (2005). The learning brain: Lessons for education. Malden: Blackwell Publishing.
3. Brickenkamp, R. (1994). Test d2 Aufmerksamkeits-Belastungs-Test. Handanweisung. Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe.
4. Brickenkamp, R. (2012). Test de Atención D2: Manual. Madrid: TEA Ediciones.
5. Carretero-Martínez, A., Romero-Naranjo, F. J., Pons-Terrés, J., & Crespo-Colomino, N. (2014). Cognitive, Visual-spatial and Psychomotor Development in Students of Primary Education through the Body Percussion – BAPNE Method. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, (152)7,1282-1287.
6. Christakis, D., Zimmerman, F., & Di Giuseppe, D. (2004). Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. Pediatrics, 113(4), 708-713.
7. Díaz Pérez, A. (2016). Trastorno del desarrollo de la coordinación: Programa de Intervención a través de la Música, la danza y la percusión corporal (Método BAPNE) (Doctoral dissertation). Universidad de Murcia, España.
8. Farrell-Pagulayan, K., Busch, R. M., Medina, K. L., Bartok, J. A., & Krikorian, R. (2006). Developmental Normative Data for the Corsi Block - Tapping Task. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 28 (6), 1043 - 1052. doi:
9. García Sevilla, J. (1997). Psicología de la atención. Madrid: Síntesis Psicología.
10. Jauset Berrocal, J.A., Tripovic, Y., & Romero Naranjo, F.J (2014). El método BAPNE y su repercusión en las capacidades cognitivas. XII Jornadas de Redes de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria. El reconocimiento docente: innovar e investigar con criterios de calidad, 1672-1684
11. León, M. (2018). Neurodidáctica musical y procesos de aprendizaje. Un enfoque para la formación del educador musical. Revista Educación Superior y Sociedad (ESS), 19, 32-32.
12. Romero-Naranjo, F.J. (2013). Science & art of body percussion: a review. Journal of human sport and exercise - North America, 8, 442-457.
13. Small, G. W., Moody, T. D., Siddarth, P., & Bookheimer, S. Y. (2009). Your brain on Google: patterns of cerebral activation during internet searching. Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry, 17, 116–126. DOI:
14. Swing, E., Gentile, D., Anderson, C. (2010). Television and video game exposure and the development of attention problems. Pediatrics, 126(2), 214-221.
15. Trives-Martínez, E.A., Romero-Naranjo, F.J., Pons-Terres, J.M., Romero-Naranjo, A.A., Crespo-Colomino, N., Liendo-Cárdenas, A., & Tripovich, Y. (2014). Los métodos didácticos musicales y la atención en relación al movimiento. XII Jornadas de Redes de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria. El reconocimiento docente: innovar e investigar con criterios de calidad, 1066-1079. Retrieved from: http://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/41915
16. Wang, X., Ossher, L., & Reuter-Lorenz, P. A. (2015). Examining the relationship between skilled music training and attention. Consciousness and Cognition, 36, 169-179. DOI:
17. Wechsler, D. (2004). Escala de Memoria de Wechsler III: Manual de aplicación. Madrid: TEA Ediciones.