MUSIC ENGAGEMENT, MUSIC PREFERENCE
& PERSONAL GROWTH INITIATIVE (PGI)
Presented By : Sheri Anne, Rashmitha, Anagha, and Akhila .V
INTRODUCTION
● Music is a highly complex and engaging multisensory activity (Münte, Altenmüller, &
Jäncke, 2002) that depends on the interdependent processes of music production and
music reception (Elliott, 1995).
● Music is an art form consisting of sound and silence whose medium is organized in
time.
● It is intrinsic to all cultures and playing music is one of the few activities that involve
using the whole brain, and has surprising benefits not just for learning language,
enhancing memory and focusing attention but for physical coordination and
development as well.
● Music engagement can be understood as an individual’s level of active
participation in music activities, measured by the frequency and regularity of
participation, and the value assigned to the music activity (Tan-Chyuan, & Nikki S.
Rickard, 2012).
● Musical preferences, in general is considered as the music people choose to gratify
their physiologically based needs (Marc J. M. H., Tom F.M. et al., 2008).
● Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) as defined by Robitschek (1998) is the ability of
an individual to work towards self-improvement and it encompasses cognitive
components like beliefs, attitudes and values, along with behavioural components.
LITERATURE REVIEW
● A study done while developing the MUSE questionnaire found out that active
engagement with music has been associated with cognitive, emotional, and social
benefits (Tan-Chyuan, & Nikki S. Rickard, 2012).
● A study aimed to explore and understand the nature of engagement of college
students with music, their music preferences and their experiences of ‘healing through
music’. Findings of this study provide insight about the musical taste, the relationships
between affective state and music listening, and the manifold and multilevel healing
experiences with music of both music listeners and learners (Durgesh K, 2013).
● A study done in India found that in a sample of 209 college youth, 23%
viewed their selves as the most important agent in their own development
while 39% indicated the belief that the self and the environment are equally
important in one’s development (Gupta, 2010).
● Another ongoing research study by the authors, it was found that in a sample
of 227 college youth 29% considered self to be the most important agent of
one’s development while 35% considered both self as well as the environment
to be equally important factors in influencing development (Anindita and
Seema, 2014).
● Using multiple samples, methods, and geographic regions, analyses of the
music preferences of over 3,500 individuals converged to reveal 4 music-
preference dimensions: Reflective and Complex, Intense and Rebellious,
Upbeat and Conventional, and Energetic and Rhythmic. Preferences for these
music dimensions were related to a wide array of personality dimensions (e.g.,
Openness), self-views (e.g., political orientation), and cognitive abilities (e.g.,
verbal IQ).
Research Questions
1. Is there any relationship between Music Engagement, Music Preference, and Personal
Growth Initiative?
2. Is there a difference in the results of Music Engagement, Music Preference, and
Personal Growth Initiative, between men and women?
3. Is there a difference in the results of Music Engagement, Music Preference, and
Personal Growth Initiative, between individuals who have taken formal training and
those who haven’t?
4. Is there a difference in the levels of Music Engagement, Music Preference, and
Personal Growth Initiative, between the age groups 14-18 and 19-23 years?
Objectives
1. To observe whether there is any relationship among the levels of music
engagement, music preferences and Personal Growth Initiative (PGI) within
the sample.
2. To determine whether there are any significant differences in the levels of
music engagement, music preferences and PGI, between
i) Men and Women
ii) the age groups 14-18 years and 19-23 years
iii) Formally trained individuals in music and untrained individuals.
Hypotheses
1. There will be a relationship between
i. Music Engagement and Music Preferences
ii. Music Engagement and Personal Growth Initiative
iii. Music Preferences and Personal Growth Initiative
2. There will be a significant difference in the levels of Music Engagement, Music
Preferences, and PGI, among
i. Men and Women
ii. The age groups 14-18 years, and 19-23 years
iii. Formally Trained Individuals and Untrained Individuals in Music.
METHOD
Research Design: Sample
● Quantitative Study N = 201
● Correlational Study
● Between Groups Design
● Within Group Design
N = 82 N = 119
Sampling Techniques Used: (14-18yrs) (19 - 23yrs)
● Purposive Sampling
● Snowball Sampling N = 41 N = 41 N = 60 N = 61
Males Females Males Females
● Convenient Sampling
Figure 1: showing graphical representation of the sample size.
Inclusion Criteria : Exclusion Criteria :
ipants: 14-23 years.
1. No participant below the age of 14 or
ng to sign the informed consent
above the age of 23 were selected for
this study.
have taken formal training in
2. Non-Residential Indians.
who haven’t.
3. Participants with known Physical or
rent areas of Hyderabad.
Chronic Illness.
e participants: Indians.
.
the participants: Participants aged
dents (included college dropouts,
who have taken a break of an year
en their studies).
Instruments Used :
1. Music USE (MUSE) Questionnaire by TanChyuan Chin, Nikki S. Rickard
A 32 item scale divided into two sections - one, comprising of 8 questions
measuring the Indices of Music Engagement; and the other, measuring the
Styles of Music Engagement, consisting of 24 questions indicated on a 6-point
Likert scale ranging from ‘0’ (not applicable to me) to ‘5’ (strongly agree).
2. Short Test On Music Preferences - Revised (STOMP-R)
by Rentfrow, P. J., & Gosling, S. D
The STOMP is a 14-item scale evaluating preferences in music genres. The STOMPR
is a revised version of the scale measuring preferences for 23 genres, grouped under
four broad music-preference dimensions - Reflective and Complex, Intense and
Rebellious, Upbeat and Conventional, and Energetic and Rhythmic.
The scale starts with 1 (dislike strongly), moves on to 2 (dislike moderately), then 3
(dislike a little), then 4 (neither like nor dislike), then 5 (like a little), then 6 (like
moderately), and then ends with 7 (like strongly).
3. Personal Growth Initiative Scale II (PGIS-II)
by Robitschek, Ashton, Spering, Geiger, Byers, Schotts, & Thoen.
The Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (PGIS-II) is a revised multidimensional
assessment of the complex processes of personal growth initiative. The scale consists of
both cognitive and behavioural components, unlike the original PGIS.
The PGIS-II consists of sixteen items that are rated on a Likert scale from 1 = Strongly
Disagree to 6 = Strongly Agree, measuring 4 different correlated factors, viz., Readiness
for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. A higher score
indicates a greater degree of personal growth initiative in each subscale area and overall.
Procedure
Data Analysis
Data was analysed using the software IBM SPSS version 24.
➔ Pearson’s Correlation
➔ T-ratio
Results
Table 1
Table 1 showing mean, standard deviation
and t-test ratios of the indices of music
engagement, the five styles of music
engagement, the four dimensions of
STOMP, and the Personal Growth
Initiative along with its four dimensions,
based on the gender of the sample.
Figure 1(a) showing graphical representation of the means of Music Engagement in women and men.
Figure 1(b) showing graphical representation of the means of Music Preferences in women and men.
Figure 1(c) showing graphical representation of the means Personal Growth Initiative in women and men.
Table 2
Table 2 showing mean, standard deviation
and t-test ratios of the indices of music
engagement, the five styles of music
engagement, the four dimensions of
STOMP, and the Personal Growth
Initiative along with its four dimensions,
based on age (14-23 years) of the sample.
Figure 2 (a) showing a graphical representation of the means of Music Engagement in the age groups 14-18 years and 19-
23 years.
Figure 2 (b) showing a graphical representation of the means of Music Preferences in the age groups 14-18 years and
19-23 years
Figure 2 (c) showing a graphical representation of the means of Personal Growth Initiative in the age groups 14-18
years and 19-23 years
Table 3
Table 3 showing mean, standard deviation
and t-test ratios of the indices of music
engagement, the five styles of music
engagement, the four dimensions of
STOMP, and the Personal Growth
Initiative along with its four dimensions,
based on whether the participant has taken
formal training in music or not.
Figure 3(a) showing a graphical representation of the means of Music Engagement in Untrained and Trained individuals.
Figure 3 (b) showing a graphical representation of the means of Music Preferences in Untrained and Trained individuals.
Figure 3 (c) showing a graphical representation of the means of Personal Growth Initiative in Untrained and Trained
individuals.
Summary of Results
● Significant difference among men and women in levels of Engagement Music Styles
like Cognitive & Emotional Regulation and Dance; in terms of Music Preferences
like Reflective and Complex, Upbeat and Conventional, and Energetic and
Rhythmic.
● Significance difference among the age groups 14-18 years and 19-23 years, in the
levels of Engagement Music Styles like Cognitive & Emotional Regulation and
Social Connection; in terms of Music Preferences like Reflective and Complex, and
Upbeat and Conventional.
● Significance difference among individuals who received formal training in music against
those who haven’t, in levels of Indices of Music Engagement, i.e., Index of Music
Listening, Index of Music Instrument Playing, and Index of Music Training, and
Engagement Music Styles of Cognitive & Emotional Regulation, Engaged Production,
Social Connection and Physical Exercise.
● Significant correlation between the Indices of Music Engagement, Styles of Music
Engagement and the dimensions of Music Preferences. No significant correlation
between the music preference Intense and Rebellious, and music engagement, apart from
the engagement styles Cognitive and Emotional Regulation, Social Connection and
Physical Exercise with Intense and Rebellious.
● Significant correlation between Styles of Music Engagement and dimensions of Personal
Growth Initiative. No significant correlation between the Indices of Music Engagement
and the dimensions of Personal Growth Initiative, except Index of Music Instrument
Playing with the dimension Using Resources.
● Significant correlation between the music preferences like Reflective and Complex, and
Upbeat and conventional with the dimensions of Personal Growth Initiative. No
significant correlation between the music preferences like Energetic and Rhythmic, and
Intense and Rebellious, except Planfulness with the preference Intense and Rebellious.
Limitations
● The present study was conducted only within the metropolitan city of Hyderabad.
● The sample of the study included individuals only from the age group 14-23 years.
● Relatively small sample size - can’t generalize the results.
● A cross-cultural study could be conducted to understand the cultural differences between
various cities and countries.
● The current study could be studied along with other variables.
● Better statistical measures like regression and anova can be used, instead of just
correlation and t-test.
● Only one high school was approached which is a well known private school, thus the
study did not reflect much socio-economic diversity.
● On the other hand, the testing took place in institutions which mostly had a counsellor
and a culture of vocational counselling. Therefore, the conclusions arrived at may not
reflect the reality regarding music’s influence on the individual’s personal growth
initiative.
Application Value
An important goal of counseling is for clients to learn the process of personal growth so that they will
be able to transfer this process to all aspects of their lives. Therapists teach people to dispute irrational
thoughts. Personal growth is an intentional process, where the individual is fully aware that change is
occurring and is actively and willingly involved and engaged in the process of growth. As per the results
of this study, Personal growth can be stimulated by the use of music as there is a positive correlation
among them and there is no significant difference among gender and age, meaning, the effects are
applicable to anyone. Future research can build on the foundation laid by the present study, examining a
wider array of various other variables, such as Health Orientation, Emotional Regulation, Emotional
Intelligence, Psychological Resilience, etc., exploring the role of music on positive development and
how one could use music to optimise their development.
