The researcher chose the Naglieri Nonverbal Abilities Test (NNAT) as a pre-test
and post-test measure of cognitive intelligence, due to the test's ability to measure
nonverbal performance across four cluster areas. These clusters are defined as: pattern
completion (PC), serial reasoning (SR), reasoning by analogy (RA), and spatial-temporal (ST). The NNAT was selected as a competent measure of these areas, as the test items
are portrayed as multiple choice matrix-type problems, which are not dependent on
fluency in English. In addition to the NNAT, the researcher introduced a
personal/structural factors survey during post-testing in order to measure other factors
which could have an influence on testing outcomes. The ultimate goal of this study was
to ascertain if a short-term exposure of classical music to elementary grade students
would cause measurable gains in spatial/temporal cognitive intelligence. Furthermore,
this investigative research explored the variables included in the personal/structural factor
survey items, and the corresponding scores that were impacted by the intervention of
classical music type or silence.