An analysis of the interrelationships of musical perception, musical response, and differential aptitudes.

Abstract

Fisher, Robert Edward. "An Analysis of the Interrelationships of Musical Perception, Musical Response, and Differential Aptitudes." Unpublished Master of Music thesis, Emporia State University, 1977. This study was concerned with specialized research in the development of musical learning theory. To better understand the nature of musical learning, an investigation was made into the interrelationships of musical perception, musical response and differential cognitive aptitudes. The population sampling used consisted of the enrollments from two eighth-grade general music classes of ottawa, Kansas, Junior-High School. A total number of sixty-six students participated, including twenty-nine boys and thirty-seven girls. Twelve different measures were used in this investigation. These included three tests devised by the researcher to measure aspects of musical perception, one test devised by the researcher to measure musical response, and the eight sections of the Differential Aptitude Tests. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis. This statistical model was most appropriate due to the multi-dimensional nature of the problem. Because this complex model is subject to error in computations, a computer program was utilized for analysis of the data. The findings show that certain cognitive aptitudes have a direct bearing upon musical learning. The only cognitive factor which seemed to have a significant effect upon all the measured aspects of musical perception and musical response was the Verbal Reasoning/Numerical Ability Composite from the Differential Aptitude Tests. This indicated that general aptitude or intelligence has a direct bearing upon musical learning. It was found that there was a marked difference in the factors that related to Chord-Tone Perception and the factors that related to the other musical measurements. The existence of two apparently exclusive sets of factors related to musical learning spawns the belief that at least two fundemental aptitudinal sets are in operation in musical learning: 1) Spatial Relations, Mechanical Reasoning, Clerical Speed and Accuracy, Spelling Ability; and 2) Verbal Reasoning, Numerical Ability, Abstract Reasoning, Sentence Structure (Syntax).