A Study of the Cognitive-Affective Response to Music

Abstract

This thesis addresses the philosophical emotional-intellectual dichotomy by attempting to determine the extent to which the cognitive-affective response to music in college students is related to personality traits, preparatory set, and musical style. The researcher created the Cognitive-Affective Response Test--Music (CART-M) on the basis of Meyer (1956), Kivy (1980), Osgood et a1. (1957), and Perlmutter and Perkins (1982), and refined it in three pilot studies. The reliability and validity of the CART-M is described on the basis of three pilot studies and six replications in the main study. The CART-M consists of 9 semantic differential scales loading on a cognitive (structural-textural) dimension and 9 scales loading on an affective (emotional-inspirational) dimension. Responses on each dimension were scaled 3210123 and summed to produce a response score. Musical stimuli were exemplars in three styles: classical (6), jazz (6), country (6). To quantify subjects' self-perception of ability, attitude to music, and beliefs about music, the researcher created the Preparatory Set Profile (PSP). The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) obtained a measure of personality traits. The CART-M, PSP, and MBTI were administered to 146 college undergraduates in Manitoba, Canada. Correlational analysis studied the relationship between response to three styles of music, attitude to music, ability, beliefs about music, and four personality traits: extraversion-introversion, thinking-feeling, sensing-intuition, judging-perceiving. Results showed that the higher the musical ability the more cognitive the response to music; the more "judging" the personality the more cognitive the response; of the three styles response to classical music is most cognitive and jazz is most affective. Factorial ANOVA's were constructed on the basis of PSP and MBTI scores with CART-M scores in the cells. Results revealed that subgroups based on ability, on attitude, and on personality traits differed in response. Cluster analysis identified two subgroups of the sample differing on response to music, ability, attitude, expectation, and personality. The study found evidence to support the theories of musical experience of Meyer and Kivy. The dimensions underlying the CART-M corroborated findings by Crozier (1974), Hargreaves and Colman (198l), Hare (1975), and Miller (1979).