The effects of cultural source sensitivity on music appreciation

Bibliographic Data

ID21511804
AuthorsAlex Chilvers (0000-0002-3367-391X, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, corresponding author), Yixue Quan (0000-0003-0082-1100, Macquarie University), Kirk Olsen (0000-0002-8238-8816, Macquarie University), W Fletcher Thompson (0000-0002-4256-1338, Macquarie University)
Year2024
Volume52
Issue3
Pages284-304
Publication date2024-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychology of Music (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0305-7356 • E-ISSN: 1741-3087
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/03057356231201846
OpenAlexW4387572544
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited44

Music appreciation is a complex process that involves responses to surface-level structure, personal associations, and source sensitivity. Source sensitivity is an understanding of the context in which a musical artifact was created. This article joins a growing body of literature in which program notes are manipulated to highlight the importance of source sensitivity, shifting the focus onto cultural context. Two hundred eighty-four participants formed six groups in a 2×3 between-subjects design. Western and non-Western participants (ethnicity condition) listened to an original percussion composition accompanied by a short text providing a Western, Indian, or blended cultural context (cultural context condition). They then evaluated the music across a range of measures. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors of appreciation: Hedonic and Eudaimonic. Results revealed significant ethnicity–cultural context interactions for both. In the Indian context, Western participants exhibited high appreciation, whereas non-Western listeners exhibited low appreciation. Among non-Westerners, appreciation was highest in the blended context. Our results demonstrate an association between cultural source information and music appreciation. We propose that Western participants experience a proteophilic response to Indian music due to their secure status as members of a dominant social group. Non-Western participants, however, require a neutralizing Western context to similarly appreciate Indian music content

Archaeology · Art · Cultural diversity · Ethnic group · Indigenous · Musical · Sociology · Visual arts · Anthropology · Diverse Music Education Insights · History · Music and Audio Processing · Neuroscience and Music Perception · Psychology · Social Psychology

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