Can music activity training improve self-control among preschool children? Evidence from an 8-week intervention experiment.

BACKGROUND: Self-control is crucial for healthy individual development and environmental adaptation, with the preschool period being a critical stage for its emergence. This study aimed to examine the effects of music activity interventions on self-control among 4- to 5-year-old preschool children. METHODS: In a 3×2 mixed experimental design, 67 children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a percussion intervention group (n = 20), an integrated music intervention group (n = 20), or a control group (n = 27). The intervention groups underwent an 8-week music teaching intervention with two sessions per week. The Children’s Self-Control Teacher Rating Questionnaire was used to assess the children’s performance across four dimensions—consciousness, persistence, continence, and delay of gratification—before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Analysis of covariance revealed that after controlling for baseline differences, both intervention groups scored significantly higher than the control group did in terms of total self-control, persistence, continence, and delay of gratification, but no significant difference was found in the dimension of consciousness. No statistically significant differences were detected between the two music interventions; however, owing to the limited statistical power for this comparison, these null findings should be considered inconclusive rather than evidence of equivalence. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that both percussion and integrated music activities positively affect preschool children’s self-control. These findings provide empirical support for the role of structured music activities in fostering self-control in young children.