Music as Social behavior

Abstract

This chapter considers a range of ways in which the social psychology of music may be tackled empirically. Since most music-making is a social activity, this is a particularly important area of study. Topics covered include the study of social factors in the acquisition of musical skills, using biographical surveys, questionnaires, and case studies; social factors in musical taste; the study of social dynamics in musical ensembles; and the social psychology of individual differences in music. This last section includes a discussion of the use of personality questionnaires, projective and objective testing methods, and the relationship between personality research and musical preferences. The..