By Lorna Dawson
Performing magical tricks can increase children's confidence and improve their social skills, psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, told the BA Festival of Science today.
He showed the hidden psychology behind some of the world's greatest illusionists and taught the audience just why the eye is quicker than the hand.
"Learning magic requires self-discipline, an understanding of how other people think, and an ability to entertain," said Professor Wiseman.
"Also, unlike playing computer games, it encourages children to interact with their friends and family. Because of this, we thought it might be a unique and effective way of developing an important set of psychological skills."
Wiseman and his colleagues carried out the first study of its kind, with 60 children aged between 10 and 12, at two schools in Hertfordshire. It involved assessing the effect of teaching secondary school children some illusions, including how to magically restore a rope that has been cut in half, read another person's mind and choose the right card from a deck of cards.
Assessments, taken both before and after just a single lesson at 'magic school', revealed dramatic psychological effects, with the results suggesting a significant increase in both sociability and confidence.
The researchers also monitored the pupils during a standard lesson commonly used to increase self-esteem, and discovered that performing magic proved more effective at promoting both social skills and confidence.
Compared to personal, social and health education (PSHE), it was ranked significantly higher (7.6 out of 10, compared with 7.2 out of 10) in improving confidence and self discipline, measured 2 weeks after the training.
Professor Wiseman now wants to roll this programme out across a wider range of schools through the use of a DVD training material.
"With the success of the Harry Potter stories, kids' excitement in such themes can be used to good effect," he said.
Other initial findings suggest that some children with low self-esteem may also benefit from learning and performing the tricks.
Marvin Berglas (the creator of Europe's largest and best-known magic companies, Marvin's Magic), provided the material for the tricks, and said, "These results confirm the many letters and emails that we receive from children saying how their new-found talents have elevated their playground status. Also, magic encourages children to interact with their friends and family, and is also both fun and cool."