Preference Responses and Use of Written Descriptors among Music and Nonmusic Majors in the United States, Hong Kong, and the People's Republic of China

Abstract

This study compares preference responses to selected musical examples across groups of listeners from three nationalities and investigates how similarities/differences in preference responses may or may not be reflected in listeners' written comments. Subjects were undergraduate music and nonmusic majors from the United States (n = 119), Hong Kong (n = 136), and the People's Republic of China (n = 124) and were asked to respond along a 9-point Likert scale to 9 instrumental excerpts-3 Western classical, 3 jazz, and 3 Chinese classical. Su1jects were also asked to provide written comments for each excerpt explaining their preference rating. Chinese subjects were significantly more positive in their overall ratings. Subjects from the U.S. and China strongly favored excerpts representative of styles common to their own culture, while Hong Kong subjects evaluated all three styles similarly. Analysis of written responses showed that U.S. subjects more consistently made analytical comments, whereas Chinese and Hong Kong subjects made more metaphorical comments. Music majors demonstrated more positive preference responses than did nonmajors.

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