RETRACTED: The influence of different music styles on Chinese students' lateral thinking skills (Retracted article. See vol. 46, 2022)

It is relevant to study the influence of music (especially classical music and heavy metal) on lateral thinking formation. The work aims to evaluate changes in the parameters of Chinese students' lateral thinking skills in the process of exposure to classical music and heavy metal in a comparative aspect. The participants were in their first and fourth years of study. The study was conducted during the 2018/2019 academic year in Beijing. The participants were divided into two groups and tested three times using Bourdon's test, the first time before the start of classes, the second immediately after 1 hour of training, and the third after 5 min of listening to a musical sample from a list of tracks provided. The results indicate that classical music had a greater influence on Chinese students' lateral thinking skills than other music styles (such as hip hop, heavy metal, and gothic doom tracks). The first test showed a manifestation of lateral thinking skills in the third minute and a fading of concentration in the fifth. Lateral thinking skills in students were recorded when listening to classical music compared to heavy metal. For classical music, heavy metal, and gothic doom in group 1, similar tendencies were established a trend of high performance during the test, which was opposite to the situation when listening to hip-hop, when a downward trend was observed. This downward trend was also in group 2. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of applying the developed technique to measure lateral thinking parameters under the influence of other music styles. Prospects for further research are to explore the effects of different music styles on indicators of creativity, critical thinking, or psychological state.