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

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. 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. 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. 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.