Becky Germscheid

Dr. Swenson Lepper

CMST 485 Senior Seminar
3/6/15

Peer Influence on the Development of Musical

Preference

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES

Literature Review
In the six-month period between December 30, 2013, and June
29, 2014, over 227 million music albums were sold in the U.S. (Nielsen,
2014). These sales are a reflection of the importance music has in the
lives of many people in our society, especially adolescents. While
young and middle aged adults still consider music an important part of
their lives, it has been found that they do not have as much
psychologically invested in music as young people do (BonnevilleRoussy, Rentfrow, Xu, & Potter, 2013). Music plays an important role in
how adolescents explore their identities and form relationships.
Relationships are developed through similarities, and the more
perceived similarity between personalities there is, the more likely a
friendship is to have a higher intensity over time (Selfhout, Denissen,
Branje, & Meeus, 2009). To increase similarity, teens are more likely to
listen to a certain type of music when their peers have endorsed it. The
purpose of this review is to discuss the following hypothesis:
H1: Teens expressed music preferences are more alike when
they discuss the music in a group than when they hear the music
together but dont discuss it.
Brechwald and Prinstein (2011) define peer influence as,
adolescents own reports of how much they feel influenced by
agemates (p. 166). Literature from the following areas will be
examined: (1) peer influence and conformity among adolescents, (2)

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES

the factors in the formation of musical preference, and (3) the role that
peer influence plays on adolescents music preference.

Peer Influence
A major finding in studies regarding adolescent development
over the years is that adolescents behaviors and attitudes are similar
to the behaviors and attitudes of their friends (Brenchwald & Prinstein,
2011). Research by Kandel (1978) explains this through the process of
homophily. Homophily suggests that these similarities come from
adolescents tendencies to socialize with people who already have
similar behaviors and attitudes, as well as the tendency for behaviors
and attitudes to become even more similar over time. Homophily
effects develop through the process of peer influence, which is
demonstrated through group conformity. When adolescents conform to
their peers behaviors and attitudes they are engaging in behaviors
because they are associated with high peer status or value the
relationship with their peer.
Dilmaghani (2014) defines conformity as, a process by which
beliefs or behaviors are influenced by others within a group (p. 129),
and influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and
beliefs (p. 129). A study conducted by Baron, Vandello, and Brunsman
(1996) tested task importance in relation to social influence through an
experiment where groups were shown a drawing of a male perpetrator,

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES

followed by a lineup of the perpetrator and three other males.

Participants were then told to pick the perpetrator out of the lineup.
The experimental group was asked to respond verbally, while the
control group responded through a written questionnaire (Baron,
Vandello, & Brunsman, 1996). By having participants respond verbally,
the researchers were able to control the level of peer influence present
in the responses. Baron, Vandello, and Brunsman (1996) found that
conformity happens even when the group norm is incorrect, and the
correct answer is obvious. They related this finding to the idea that,
conformers have the comfort of social support (Baron et al., 1996, p.
921). When people feel that they have social support, it can produce
heightened confidence for inaccurate judgments (Baron et al., 1996).
One of the reasons researchers have found for adolescents
conforming to their peers behaviors and attitudes is because they are
associated with a high status (Brechwald & Prinstein, 2011). Parkhurst
and Hopmeyers (1998) research on peer perceived popularity
suggests that perceived popularity is characterized by dominance. The
study consisted of 727 seventh and eighth grade students answering a
questionnaire about which of their classmates they perceived as being
popular, and the social traits they possess (Parkhurst & Hopmeyer,
1998). They found that perceived popularity is correlated more highly
with social dominance (Parkhurst & Hopmeyer, 1998, p. 137). These
results provide the basis for Brechwald and Prinsteins (2011) findings

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES

that students affiliated with adolescents high in peer perceived

popularity and exposure to the behavior norms of these peers are
associated with increases in adolescents own engagement in those
behaviors (pp. 169-170). When adolescents believe that a high status
peer endorses certain behaviors, they are more likely to participate in
them as well. This could be related to a finding by Juvonen and Galvan
(2008) that when an adolescent fails to adapt dominant or valued
social norms, they could meet a form of social rejection or exclusion
(as cited in Brenchwald & Prinstein, 2011).
Brechwald and Prinstein (2011) suggest that the relationship
between the adolescent and their peer can affect their susceptibility to
peer influence. This idea was also examined by McNamera Barry and
Wentzel (2006), who found that friends can have a positive influence
on an adolescents social development, specifically their prosocial
behavior. They examined the processes by which a friends prosocial
behavior is related to change in an individuals prosocial behavior
(McNamera Barry & Wentzel, 2006, p. 154). They did this by having
nineth and tenth grade students complete a questionnaire about their
closest friendships. The findings of the study suggest that friends
prosocial behavior is related to targets prosocial goal pursuitwhen
the target perceives the friendship to have high levels of affective
quality (McNamera Barry & Wentzel, 2006, p. 157). This suggests that
intimacy and support in a friendship promotes conformity.

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Music Preference
Adolescents spend roughly 20% of their time listening to music
(Bonneville-Roussy et al., 2013). Music preference plays a key role in
the selection of music that adolescents spend their time listening to.
While musical preference varies depending on the individual, studies
have been conducted about the overall formation of music preference,
and the various factors that lead to each individuals music choices.
The main findings have been that music preference is influenced by
the MUSIC model of preference dimensions, its expression of an
individuals values, personality, and overall self-identity, and its ability
to meet the individuals emotional and social networking needs.
The formation of music preference has been studied from the
perspective that there is an underlying structure that shapes an
individuals preferences. A study conducted by Rentfrow et al. (2012)
showed that musical preferences are based on preferences for
particular musical properties and psychological attributes as opposed
to genre specific preferences. The study asked forty people with no
formal music training to independently rate fifty musical excerpts.
They found that music preferences can be conceptualized in terms of
five orthogonal dimensions: Mellow, Unpretentious, Sophisticated,
Intense, and Contemporary (MUSIC) (Rentfrow et al., 2012, p. 161).
Each of these dimensions is comprised of multiple music genres that
are similar in musical (loudness, timbre) and psychological (affect)

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characteristics. The findings in the study indicate that music

preference emerges from attributes rather than genres, and that
individual differences in musical preferences are based largely on the
sonic and psychological characteristics of the music (Rentfrow et al.,
2012, p. 182). These findings are related to a study conducted by
Greasley, Lamont, and Sloboa (2013) who interviewed participants
about their personal music collections to explore the scope of peoples
music preferences. They found that people listen to music because
they like the characteristics, the lyrics and instrumentation, of the
music (Greasley, Lamont, & Sloboa, 2013). These studies provide
findings that music preference is developed partly through the degree
of liking the elements that make up the actual music.
Studies have been conducted that relate music preference to the
psychological characteristics they evoke in people. One dimension of
psychological characteristics connects an individuals personality,
values, and self-identity with their music preferences. Studies have
found that an individuals music preference reflects their values and
overall personality (Bonneville-Roussy et al., 2013; Greasley et al.,
2013; Schwartz & Fouts, 2003). In a study conducted by Schwartz and
Fourts (2003), it was found that people gravitate towards particular
kinds of music because they have specific personality traits. Middleschoolers participated in this study by completing questionnaires that
assessed their music preference as well as characteristics of their

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personality. The study found that adolescents preferring heavy music

such as hard rock, classic rock, and rap were more likely to be
independent, communicate in an insensitive manner, resist change,
and lack a stable sense of identity (Schwartz & Fourts, 2003). They
also found that adolescents preferring light music such as pop and
dance were more likely to have developmental concerns about their
sexuality and relationships with peers (Schwartz & Fourts, 2003). And,
lastly, the study found that adolescents with eclectic music
preferences, those who do not have a strong preference for either style
of music, but listen to music according to mood, context, and particular
needs at the time, have less difficulty navigating their adolescence
(Schwartz & Fourts, 2003). According the researchers, the pattern of
findings indicates that each of the three music preference groups is
inclined to demonstrate a unique profile of personality dimensions and
developmental issues (Schwartz & Fourts, 2003, p. 212). These
findings are consistent with those of Greasley, Lamont, and Sloboa
(2013), who found that preferences play a central role in the
formation and maintenance of identities across the lifespan (p. 419),
and that exploring music collections can shed light on how musical
preferences are used to reflect or alter aspects of self-identity (p.
419).
Researchers have found that one of the most important factors
that affect an individuals musical preference is the function of the

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music, or how well the music meets his or her needs (BonnevilleRoussy et al., 2013; Greasley et al., 2013; Schfer & Sedlmeir, 2009).
Studies show that the bigger the benefit one gets from music the more
the individual will like it (Schfer & Sedlmeir, 2009). One of the
common benefits that people receive from music is meeting their
emotional needs. A study conducted by Schfer and Sedlmeir (2009)
found that the most common perceived function of music had to do
with mood, arousal, and emotion. Participants of the study were asked
via an online survey to give preference ratings to each of the twentyfive music styles listed through a 10-point Likert scale. They were also
asked to think of their favorite music and rate on a 10-point Likert
scale how much they agreed with several statements about the various
functions of that music (Schfer & Sedlmeir, 2009). Schfer and
Sedlmeir (2009) found that, the function most participants ascribed
their music was its capability to put them in a good mood, followed by
the possibility to chill and tune out, get energized, reminisce, and
perceive ones thoughts and feelings more sensitively (p. 289). They
also found that people preferred certain pieces of music because they
reminded them of past experiences. Participants stated that their
favorite music was the ones that they had grown up with and evoked
past emotions (Schfer & Sedlmeir, 2009).
People prefer to listen to music that can influence the way they
are feeling, whether that is through reminiscing or their current mood.

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These results are consistent with other studies on music preference
that have found that when music fits the emotional needs of an
individual, they will have a higher preference for it. Greasley, Lamont,
and Sloboa (2013) found that participants emphasized the way in
which their responses to music influenced their preferences,
particularly in terms of what they thought about music (cognitive
responses to music) and how the music made them feel (affective
response to music) (p. 413). Nearly all of the participants reported
using their musical preferences to regulate their mood (Greasley et al.,
2013). These studies both found that people will prefer to listen to
music that will fill their emotional needs.
Another aspect that drives peoples music preference is how well
it meets their social networking needs. There is evidence that musical
preferences are influenced by the social connotations associated with
that specific piece of music. Greasley, Lamont, and Sloboa (2013)
found through their interviews that people reported associating with, or
avoiding, specific artists and styles because of their awareness of how
that preference would be perceived by others if they stated them
publicly. They found that people reported purchasing music solely
because they thought they should own it, not because they enjoy
listening to it, and hide their actual preferred music from their friends
(Greasley et al., 2013). Because people use music as a way of
networking in relationships, they will alter their preferences to fit what

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they think others prefer. This is especially common among adolescents,
who have reported that they will listen to specific music styles to gain
popularity among peers and enhance group affiliation (BonnevilleRoussy, 2013).

Peer Influence on Musical Preference

Peer opinion plays an important role for teens when choosing what
music to listen to. In Nielsens Music 360 (2012) report, it was found
that 54% of teens are most likely to be influenced to purchase new
music when it comes with a positive recommendation from a friend.
Holbrook and Schindler (1989) found development of tastes for popular
music reaches a peak around age 24, due in part to the fact that social
pressure from peer groups reaches a peak during that particular phase
in ones life cycle. Studies related to peer influence on music
preference have found that music plays an important role in the
selection of friends, and that once friendships form social identity
theory explains the pressure put on adolescents to conform to their
peers musical preferences.
It is suggested that music preferences play such an important role
in friendship formation because it gives details about a potential
friends personality, lifestyle, and values (Selfhout, Branje, ter Bogt, &
Meeus, 2009). In a study conducted by Selfhout, Branje, ter Bogt, and
Meeus (2009) that examined musical similarities between friends, it

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was found that during the formation of early adolescents friendships,
music preferences were an important factor when selecting friends.
Adolescents participating in the study were asked to complete a
questionnaire at the beginning of the school year, and then again a
year later, assessing varying levels of friendships they had and their
music preferences (Selfhout et al., 2009). They found that similarity in
music preferences predicted a higher chance of becoming friends a
year later (Selfhout et al., 2009). It was also found that once a
friendship was formed, music similarity in overall music preferences
were higher than with those who were not friends (Selfhout et al.
2009). These findings are similar to those of Johnstone and Katz (1957)
who found, after studying musical interests and friendships in teen
girls, that close friends tend to have similar music taste.
Research on how peers influence music preference relies heavily
on social identity theory. Tajfel and Turner (1979) developed social
identity theory after finding that people have the tendency to favor
members of their own social groups (or ingroups) at the expense of
non-members (members of outgroups) (as cited in Turner, Brow, &
Tajfel, 1979). A study conducted by Tarrant, North, and Hargreaves
(2001) investigated the potential of social identity theory to explain
adolescents musical behavior. Adolescents that participated, rated on
an 11-point Likert-type scale how much they thought members of their
ingroup and members of an outgroup liked certain music styles. Their

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results were consistent with social identity theory in that participants
associated the ingroup with music that was valued positively in the
ingroup, and associated the outgroup with music that the ingroup saw
as negative. (Tarrant, North, & Hargreaves, 2001).
Bakagiannis and Tarrant (2006) also used social identity theory to
see how music relates to ingroup attitudes. High school students were
divided into groups and were told either that their ingroup had similar
or different musical preferences to the other groups, or were not told
anything about the other groups musical preferences. Participants
were then asked to answer a questionnaire about how they viewed the
outgroup. The results found that ingroups viewed outgroups with
similar music preferences more positive than those with different
preferences (Bakagiannis & Tarrant, 2006). These results indicate that
music can be used to improve intergroup relations.
Social identity theory also assumes that individuals are
motivated to achieve a positive self-image and gain feelings of
belonging, which is done by adopting positively valued behaviors and
values within ones social group (Tajfel &Turner, 1979 as cited in Turner
et al., 1979). Relating social identity theory to music preference
suggests that adolescents have similar music preferences to their
social groups because friends conform to the valued group preference.
Furman and Duke (1988) examined the role that conformity plays in
the decision-making process. They played college students two pairs of

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ten music excerpts. The experimental subjects were tested individually
in the presence of three people who were instructed to give
predetermined responses. After hearing each pair of musical examples,
participants responded verbally by stating which of the two they
preferred (Furman & Duke, 1988). It was found that the group showed
conformity when comparing two identical music excerpts (Furman &
Duke, 1988). This result suggests that publicly expressed preferences
for music may be influenced by group opinion.
Results found in a study conducted by Nuttall and Tinson (2005)
also found that adolescents were likely to conform to popular opinion.
The study conducted found that it was more difficult for adolescents in
a group to commit to what music they liked, but easily stated which
music they disliked (Nuttall & Tinson, 2005). They related this to their
other finding, that when a member of the group would state a
preference for an artist that the rest of the group disliked, they would
be ostracized from the group (Nuttal & Tinson, 2005). Social rejection
from peers can create social anxiety in adolescents (Vernberg,
Abwender, Ewell, & Beery, 1992). In order to prevent social anxiety and
gain a sense of membership within a group they will conform to the
popular group preferences, including expressing a music preference
they might not agree with.
After examining the research, the majority of studies that have
been conducted on how a teens peers can influence their music

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 15

preference are outdated. This creates a gap in the research for recent
information gathered within the last twenty years. This study aims to
fill this gap by analyzing the following hypothesis:
H1: Teens expressed music preferences are more alike
when they discuss the music in a group than when they
hear the music together but dont discuss it.
The present study defines peer influence as Nuttall and Tinson
(2005) define it, as the extent to which adolescents use their peers for
information or if adolescents comply with group behavior (buy or
intend to buy [music] they may not like simply because it is acceptable
or the norm for the in-group) (p. 358). Musical preference for this
study is taken from Selfhout, Branje, ter Bogt, and Meeus (2009) to
mean when adolescents have a preference for a specific music
dimension, and also when a song or genre of music is chosen over
others.

Methods
Participants
Participants for this study will be college students at Winona
State University, ages 18 and 19. This age group will be studied

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 16

because there are very few previous studies of this nature done with
teenage college students, as most of the studies are on high school
students. Previous research also indicates that this age group is still
highly influenced by their peers. Holbrook and Schindler (1989) found
development of tastes for popular music reaches a peak around age
24, due in part to the fact that social pressure from peer groups
reaches a peak during that particular phase in ones life cycle. Due to
the importance of peer influence, as well as the gap in the research for
this age group, this age group was chosen for this study.
The ideal number of total participants would be 50, split up
between the control and experimental group. In order to accurately
facilitate a discussion, multiple experimental groups will be tested, with
between 5 to 8 participants in each group. The control group can be
tested in groups of 10 to 15, as there wont be any interaction
necessary. A larger sample size, with more randomly selected
participants is ideal, but is unobtainable due to time constraints and
available resources.

Measures
The tools I will use for this experiment are music clips and a
survey. The participants will listen to two different music excerpts from
different genres. The excerpts will be taken from popular songs from
country and classical genres. These genres were chosen because they

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 17

represent different types of preferences, and will invite an opinionated
discussion. Participants will hear the beginning minute of each selected
song. The song selected for the country genre is This is How We Roll
by Florida Georgia Line, and the song selected for the classical genre is
Claire De Lune by Vitamin String Quartet. These two songs were
selected because they are popular in their genre and so will be more
easily recognized.
Participants will be asked to fill out a survey after listening to
each musical excerpt. The survey will ask Likert-type questions such
as: I enjoy listening to this song, strongly agree to strongly disagree,
I would listen to this in my free time, strongly agree to strongly
disagree, and I enjoy listening to this genre of music, strongly agree
to strongly disagree (See Appendix 1 for full list of questions).
The survey questions will assess their preferences towards each
music genre, and will allow for the scores from the control and
experimental group to be easily compared.

Procedure
Participants will be asked to participate through their entry-level
speech classes, mainly because those classes are comprised of a large
majority of students in the target audience, and are easily accessible.
They will be asked to volunteer to take part in the study, and sign up
for a group during a time that works the best for them.

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Participants will come to the group that meets during the time they
signed up for, where they will be asked to fill out a form of consent to
participate. Participants will be given instructions on the nature of the
experiment, and a set of directions depending on which group they are
taking part in. The participants will then listen to a minute music
excerpt. The control group will fill out the music preference survey. The
experimental group will have a group discussion about their
preferences for the music clip before they fill out the music preference
survey. Both groups will then repeat the process they are assigned to
as they listen to the second music excerpt.
After the groups have listened to all the music clips and
completed the surveys, they will be thanked for their participation. I
will then collect the surveys and analyze the data.

Analysis
I will be using a t-test to analyze my data. This test is being used
because my independent variable (peer influence) is nominal data, and
my dependent variable (music preference) is interval level data since it
is coming from a Likert-type scale. A t-test is being used because I will
be comparing two groups of data, data from the control group and the
experimental group.

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 19

References
Bakagiannis, S., & Tarrant, M. (2006). Can music bring people together?
Effects of shared musical preference on intergroup bias in
adolescence. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 47, 129-136.
Baron, R. S., Vandello, J. A., & Brunsman, B. (1996). The forgotten
variable in conformity research: Impact of task importance on
social influence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71(5),
915-927.
Bonneville-Roussy, A., Renfrow, P. J., Xu, M. K., & Potter, J. (2013). Music
through the ages: Trends in musical engagement and preferences
from adolescence through middle adulthood. Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology, 105(4), 703-717.
Brenchwald, W. A., & Prinstein, M. J. (2011). Beyond homophily: A
decade of advances in understanding peer influence processes.
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 166-179.
Dilmaghani, M. (2014). Dynamics of social influence: An evolutionary
approach. International Journal of Social Economics, 41(2), 123145.

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 20

Furman, C. E., & Duke, R. A. (1988). Effect of majority consensus on
preferences for recorded orchestral and popular music. Journal of
Research in Music Education, 36(4), 220-231.
Greasley, A., Lamont, A., & Sloboda, J. (2013). Exploring musical
preferences: An in-depth qualitative study of adults' liking for music
in their personal collections. Qualitative Research in Psychology,
10(4), 402-427.
Holbrook, M. B., & Schindler, R. M. (1989). Some exploratory findings
on the development of musical tastes. Journal of Consumer
Research, 16, 119-124.
Johnstone, J., & Katz, E. (1957). Youth and popular music: A study in the
sociology of taste. American Journal of Sociology, 62(6), 563-568.
Kandel, D. B. (1978). Homophily, selection, and socialization in
adolescent friendships. American Journal of Sociology, 84(2), 427436.
McNamera Barry, C., & Wentzel, K. R. (2006). Friend influence on
prosocial behavior: The role of motivational factors and friendship
characteristics. Developmental Psychology, 42(1), 153-163.
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (2012). Music discovery still dominated by radio,
says Nielsen music 360 report [Data file]. Retrieved from

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 21

http://www.rab.fm/uploads/2014/Onderzoek/Nielsen
%20360%20report.pdf
Nielsen Holdings N.V. (2014). Nielsen Entertainment & Billboards 2014
mid-year music industry report [Data file]. Retrieved from
http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/public
%20factsheets/Soundscan/nielsen-music-2014-mid-year-usrelease.pdf
Nuttall, P., & Tinson, J. (2005). Exploring peer group influence by
considering the use and consumption of popular music among
early adolescents. The Marketing Review, 5, 357-370.
Parkhurst, J. T., & Hopmeyer, A. (1998). Sociometric popularity and
peer-perceived popularity: Two distinct dimensions of peer status.
The Journal of Early Adolescence, 18(2), 125-144.
Rentfrow, P. J., Goldberg, L. R., Stillwell, D. J., Kosinski, M., Gosling, S.
D., & Levitin, D. J. (2012). The song remains the same: A replication
and extension of the MUSIC model. Music Perception: An
Interdisciplinary Journal, 30(2), 161-185.
Schfer, T., & Sedlmeier, P. (2009). From the functions of music to
music preference. Psychology of Music, 37(3), 279-300.

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 22

Schwartz, K. D., & Fouts, G. T. (2003). Music preferences, personality
style, and developmental issues of adolescents. Journal of Youth
and Adolescence, 32(3), 205-213.
Selfhout, M. H. W., Branje, S. J. T., ter Bogt, T. F. M., & Meeus, W. H. J.
(2009). The role of music preferences in early adolescents'
friendship formation and stability. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 95107.

Selfhout, M., Denissen, J., Branje, S., & Meeus, W. (2009). In the eye of
the beholder: Perceived, actual, and peer-rated similarity in
personality, communication, and friendship intensity during the
acquaintanceship process. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 96(6), 1152-1165.
Tarrant, M., North, A. C., & Hargreaves, D. J. (2001). Social
categorization, self-esteem, and the estimated musical preferences
of male adolescents. The Journal of Social Psychology, 141(5), 565581.

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 23

Turner, J. C., Brown, R. J., & Tajfel, H. (1979). Social comparison and
group interest in ingroup favouritism. European Journal of Social
Psychology, 9, 187-204.
Vernberg, E. M., Abwender, K. E., & Beery, S. H. (1992). Social anxiety
and peer relationships in early adolescence: A prospective analysis.
Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21(2), 189-196.

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 24

Appendix 1: Music Preference Survey

This is the survey participants in both groups will be asked to complete
after listening to each of the different musical excerpts. The same
survey will be used for each of the different genres.

When answering these questions keep in mind the musical clip you just
heard. Please indicate on a scale how much you agree or disagree with
the following statements.
Strongly
Agree
I enjoy listening
to this song
I would listen to
this song in my
free time
I enjoy listening
to music in this
genre
I would buy this
song
I would buy
music in this
genre
I would
recommend this
song to a friend
I would
recommend this
genre of music to
a friend

Agree

Neutral

Disagr
ee

Strongly
Disagree

PEER INFLUENCE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSICAL PREFERENCES 25

Appendix 2: Experimental Group Discussion Questions

This is the set of questions that I will ask participants in the control
group after they have listened to each of the musical excerpts. The
same set of questions will be asked after clips of each of the different
genres.

Did you enjoy listening to this song?

o Why or why not?
Do you frequently listen to music in this genre?
o Why or why not?
Would this be your first choice of music genres to listen to in your

free time?
o Why or why not?
What do you this of when you hear this clip, and music in this

genre?