DETERMINANTS OF MUSIC TYPE PREFERENCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN DAVAO CITY

UIC Research Journal Print ISSN ACCOUNTANCY 1656-0604 AND Online BUSINESS ISSN ADMINISTRATION 2244-6532 Vol. 20 No. 2 October 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.17158/509 International Peer Reviewed Faculty Research Journal Available online at http://research.uic.edu.ph/ojs/ DETERMINANTS OF MUSIC TYPE PREFERENCE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN DAVAO CITY Ronald Jay S. Ticudo http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4272-0490 ronaldjayticudo@gmail.com University of the Immaculate Conception Helenne U. Pregua http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5122-3648 helenne423@yahoo.com University of the Immaculate Conception Renan P. Limjuco http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1812-8673 ren02lim@gmail.com University of the Immaculate Conception ABSTRACT Music type preference says a lot of things about the youth of today. Alarmingly, the liking for a specific genre of music may mean some behavioral problems like substance abuse, alcoholism, addiction, and many others. These ideas posit that young people, university students included, may reveal themselves through their choice of music. Thus, this study was conceptualized to determine the students music preference, the factors that trigger their music preference and the significance of the associations among these variables. Moreover, this is a descriptive correlational study that used random sampling in selecting the 400 respondents from the four big universities in Davao City. The questionnaire is a valid researcher-made tool with Cronbach alpha coefficients of.703 and.849, respectively for the factor and music type preference items. The results revealed that 50% of the respondents identified lyrics as the factor that influenced them to choose a certain genre of music, followed by video, and a mixed factor consisting of lyrics, artist and video, and finally, the artist. Mixed music type (combination of pop, RnB, rap, OPM ballad and religious music) was the dominant music type of the respondents, followed by religious, RnB, pop, OPM, ballad and lastly, rap. It was found that the respondent s school is significantly associated with 177

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness his/her music type preference. Moreover, a significant association was established between the influences of lyrics, artist or video and the music type preferences of the respondents. KEYWORDS Factors as determinants of music genre, music type preference, descriptivecorrelation, university students, Davao City, Philippines INTRODUCTION Music is a humanly organized sound, with intent into a recognizable aesthetic entity as a musical communication directed from a maker to a known or unforeseen listener, publicly through the medium of a performer, or privately by a performer as listener (Godt, 2005). It is 50 % innate to each person and the remaining 50 % is stimulation (Lehtimaki, 2011). However, different individuals have different preferences over music. Music has different types. Among these types are pop or popular music, religious music and Original Pilipino Music (OPM). Popular music is defined as a music of general appeal to teenagers; a bland watered-down version of rock n roll with more rhythm and harmony, and an emphasis on romantic love. One of the styles of pop songs is rap. It was developed by the disc jockeys and urban blacks in the late 1970 s in which an insistent, recurring beat pattern provides the background and counterpoint for rapid, slangy, and often boastful rhyming pattern glibly intoned by a vocalist. On the other hand, religious music is usually heard during mass or prayer vigil. Filipinos also have their own made-up songs called OPM. According to Yutsuru (2011), OPM is a Filipino-composed music material that is usually performed by the Filipino artist, local or international. Ariel Pineda, Charice Pempengco, Maria Aragon, Lea Salonga are among the international Filipino artists, who render performances through English or Filipino OPM songs. They are the ones bringing prestige and pride to the citizens of the Philippines, because of which there is more than enough reason why students in a university would probably choose OPM genre among the rest of the music types. Nevertheless, individuals have different tastes in music, which may have bearings on the following reports: first, musical preference can have an influence on choice of and/or frequency of drug use (Hart, Agnich, Stogner & Miller, 178

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 2013); second, personality has a contribution on music preferences (Delsing, Ter Bogt, Engels & Meeus, 2007), and finally, music type preference may be attributed to social and auditory characteristics of the music (Rentfrow, 2012). In another study, cognitive, emotional, and physiological arousal, and familiarity accounted significantly for the strength of music preference (Schäfer & Sedlmeier, 2009). Furthermore, the cognitive functions of music (i.e., music as a means for communication and self-reflection) as well as physiological arousal elicited by the music are the most important determinants of music preference. Pertaining to the types of music covered in this investigation, a study revealed that 98% of the fourth to sixth graders listen to popular music (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1996). Nearly a decade earlier, it was already established that 17% of male adolescents and 25% of female adolescents who participated in a survey chose their favorite song based on its lyrics (Roberts, Christenson, & Gentile, 2003). Furthermore, findings of some studies showed that the class is positively related to omnivorousness (liking a wide variety of music); age is positively related to omnivorousness; being a female is positively related to omnivorousness, and that whites are more omnivorous than blacks (White, 2001). Mulder, Ter Bogt, Raaijmakers, and Sikkema (2010) added that age was positively related to music taste consistency. He concluded that music taste is already well developed in early adolescence, and crystallizes further during late adolescence and early adulthood. Furthermore, music videos might also have a factor in one s preferences. In fact in 2004, Kaiser Family Foundations revealed that 3 out of 4 of those in the 16-24 year old group watch MTV, 58% watch it at least once a week, and 20% watch it for an hour or more every day. It was also reported that teenagers 12 to 15 years of age did watch music videos 4.3 days per week on the average (Reddick & Beresin, 2002). The law of effect principle developed by Edward Thorndike (1905) suggests that responses closely followed by satisfaction will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore, more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated. Conversely, if the situation is followed by discomfort, the connections to the situation will become weaker and the behavior of response is less likely to occur when the situation is repeated (Cherry, n.d.). Choosing one s music genre depends on the satisfaction the music provides to the listener. Factors like lyrics, artist and video can create satisfaction or dissatisfaction to the person. Since there are various existing music genres, the researchers would like to know whether certain factors do influence one s music preference. Likewise, the questions that were prepared by the researchers were driven out from the motive and the positive stimulation that their own choices of music genre have offered them. 179

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness FRAMEWORK INDEPENDENT VARIABLE Factors Lyrics Artist Video DEPENDENT VARIABLE Music Type Preferences Pop music Religious music OPM Ballad Rap RnB Demographic profile Sex School Economic status Figure 1. Conceptual framework of the study The diagram shows the premise that there are factors, like lyrics, artist, and/ or video that determine the music type preferences, which include pop music, religious music, OPM ballad, rap, and/or RnB. Demographics consisting of sex, course and economic status are also believed to affect both these identified factors and music type preferences. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The study aimed to determine the music type preference of university students in Davao City. Furthermore, it identified which among the determinants --- lyrics, artist and video, influences most the choice of one s music. The research intended to attain the following specific objectives: to present the profile of the respondents as to sex, school, and family monthly income, to determine the dominant factors that the respondents consider influential to music type preference, to determine the dominant music genre of the respondent; and 180

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION to establish whether a significant association exists between the independent variables (lyrics, artist and video) and dependent variables (pop, religious, OPM ballad, rap and RnB). METHOD The researchers employed the descriptive-correlation method. This approach ascertains the degree of linear relationship between two variables assumed to be associated with each other. Thus, for this investigation, they directed their efforts to know if there is an association between each of the identified factors like lyrics, artist, or video and music type such pop music, religious music, OPM ballad, rap or RnB. This research was done at the Education program unit of the University of the Immaculate Conception, Davao City and as a collaborative effort between the department and the Research and Development Center of the institution through which the collections and evaluation of the data were done. The respondents of the study were the 400 university students from the four universities in Davao City, namely, the University of the Immaculate Conception, University of Southeastern Philippines, University of Mindanao, and Ateneo de Davao University. The researchers implemented the purposive quota sampling to involve 100 students from each of the participating university. The instrument used was a Likert type questionnaire consisting of 40 items answerable by Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Undecided (U), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). It has two parts. Part 1 includes items pertaining to the choice among the factors such as lyrics, artist and video. Part 2 reveals items about the music type preference of the respondents, whether it is pop, religious, OPM ballad, rap and/or RnB music. The same number of questionnaires was distributed to the four schools. The questionnaires underwent validity and reliability testing with a Cronbach alpha of 0.703 for part one and 0.849 for part two. 181

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Demographic Profile of the Respondents There were 400 university students purposively chosen for this investigation. They were all self-confessed music lovers who are familiar with the various genres of music. Sex. Fifty seven per cent (228 out of 400) are males and 43% (172 out of 400) are females. Based on this data, more male students disclosed themselves as music enthusiasts as compared to females. Although the difference in proportion is not that big, it can still be inferred that the researchers were able to recruit male students easily probably because the music type preferences specifically pop, rap and RnB are known to be genres that appeal more to males than in females. Another possible reason why males dominate in the survey is the two universities involved in the study, namely, the University of Southeastern Philippines and University of Mindanao, the males were more readily available to the researchers. School. The four participating universities were each represented by 100 students. This equal distribution of 25% for each university is one limitation of this investigation because the actual population of the stratum was not considered in sample size determination. Economic Status. As shown by Table 1, 39.8% of the respondents (159 out of 400) have family monthly income of P 10,000 and below. This group is followed by 15.8% of the respondents (63 out of 400) whose family monthly income ranges from P10,000.01 to P20,000.00. These two groups represent more than half of the sample determined for this study. The students who participated in the survey are more likely representing a middle class group of the economic strata of Davao City. 182

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Table 1. Family monthly income of the respondents Monthly Income No response 10,000.00 and below 10,000.01 to 20000.00 20,001.00 to 30000.00 30,001.00 to 40,000.00 40,001.00 to 50,000.00 50,001.00 to 60,000.00 60,001.00 to 70,000.00 70,001.00 to 80,000.00 80,001.00 to 90,000.00 90,001.00 and above Total Frequency 19 159 63 32 35 21 16 10 2 19 24 400 Percent 4.8 39.8 15.8 8.0 8.8 5.3 4.0 2.5 0.5 4.8 6.0 100.0 Figure 2. Factors that determine one s music preference Identified Factors of Music Type Preference Figure 2 shows that almost 50% or 199 respondents identified lyrics as the factor that influences them to choose a certain genre of music. It is followed by video with 22% (87), then by a mixed factor of lyrics, artist and video with 17% 183

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness (67) and lastly, by the artist at 12% (47). Thus, contrary to the common belief that the artist or his personality or popularity is a strong influence for the choice of music genre among the music lovers, the findings of this study have established that the artist of the music is not necessarily the significant determinant of the music type preference. This is confirmed in the study of the American Academy of Pediatrics which states that approximately 17% of male adolescents and 25% of female adolescents expressed that they liked their favorite songs specifically because the lyrics were a reflection of their feelings. Figure 3. Music type preference Figure 3 shows the music type preferences of the university students. Mixed genre, which was their preferred music type, is a combination of at least two among Pop, RnB, Rap, OPM ballad and Religious music. This category got 31%, and was followed by Religious (23%), RnB (16%), Pop (13%), OPM Ballad (11%) and lastly, Rap which only got 7%. The data imply that there are more respondents who have two or more music type preferences. Based on the reviewed studies, the likelihood of coming up with the mixed music type preferences is affirmed in the research of Rentfrow (2012) which suggests that there are four broad music preference dimensions. In that study, for example, individuals who like listening to classical music also like jazz but not country music, whereas those who like country music also tend to like pop and religious music. Moreover, being in a particular or active mood is another factor that may affect people s music preference. Generally, people who are in good mood as they hear music 184

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION would feel and express their emotional responses differently as compared to when they are in bad mood; thus, mood certainly affect the way they feel about the type of music (Rentfrow, 2012). This behavioral pattern probably explains why a high percentage of respondents has chosen the mixed music type as shown in this present study. Religious music is the next top music type preference. This could be attributed to the profile of the respondents of which 50% are from the Catholic private schools University of the Immaculate Conception and Ateneo de Davao University. Associations among respondents sex, school and economic status and music s lyrics, artist and videos Table 2. Tests for the significance of the associations between moderating and independent variables Variables Being Associated Chi-square p-value Decision Sex and Factors School and Factors Economic status and Factors 0.911 27.90 31.26 0.823 0.001 0.403 Not significantly associated Significantly associated Not significantly associated Table 2 data show there is a significant association between school and factors that determine music preferences (p <.05). According to Martin, et al. (2005), a teenager s preference for certain types of music could be associated with specific behaviors. It is said that popular music or its video revealing themes of violence, sexual perversion, sex stereotyping, and substance abuse might produce significant changes in behaviors and attitudes of young viewers (Martin, et al., 2005). Thus, it can be inferred that the school s vision, mission and goals (VMG) as well as its branding are antecedents of their decisions or valuing of factors and features of musical forms such as lyrics, artists, and videos. In this present study, 50% are from the prominent sectarian schools, which prescribe clearly stated and specific behaviors among their students, especially on issues critical to the youth, as earlier mentioned. On the other hand, being a male or a female and being in a middle class or rich family, are not significant determinants of liking a music as represented by its lyrics, artists, or videos. 185

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness Associations among respondents sex, school and economic status and music type preferences as pop, religious, OPM ballad, rap and RnB and between factors and music type preference Table 3. Tests for the significance of the associations between moderating and dependent variables; and between independent and dependent variables Variables Being Associated Chi-square p-value Decision Sex and Music type preference School and Music type preference economic status and Music type preference Music type preference and Factors 12.21 43.75 56.69 47.92 0.032 0.000 0.240 0.000 Significantly associated Significantly associated Not significantly associated Significantly associated Table 3 data show that there is a significant association between sex and music type preference (p <.05). This finding jibes with the claim that males listen to music to boost their energy or to create positive self-images. Meanwhile, females use music to reflect their emotional states (Reddick, et al., 2002). Furthermore, Christenson and Peterson (1988) found that women had stronger preference for mainstream pop, contemporary rhythm and blues, soul, late 70s disco and black gospel than did men; while men had stronger preferences for southern rock, psychedelic rock, and blues. Moreover, in the United Kingdom, Hargreaves, Comber, and Colley (1995) found that English secondary school boys liked heavy metal and rock more than girls did while girls liked chart pop, reggae, jazz, classical, folk, and opera more than boys did. Although there have been some variations in gender differences, depending on the styles used and musical fashions, greater liking of rock and heavy rock generally has been found true among males, and of lighter music, particularly mainstream pop among females. Furthermore, based on the data from the survey, the school of the respondents is significantly associated with their music type preference while family mothly income is not. Finally, there is also a significant association between the considerations based on the music s lyrics, artist and video and the choice of music type. 186

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION LITERATURE CITED American Academy of Pediatrics 1996 Impact of music lyrics and music videos on children and youth. Pediatrics. Volume 98 Issue 6 December 1996. Cherry, K. n.d. Edward Thorndike Biography of Edward Thorndike. Psychology complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Retrieved on September 12, 2013 from http:// psychology.about.com/od/profilesmz/edward-thorndike.htm Christenson, Peter G. & Peterson, Jon B. 1988 Genre and gender in the structure of music preferences. Communication Research, Vol. 15 (3), June 1988, 282-301. Delsing, M.J.M.H., Ter Bogt, T.F.M., Engels, R.C.M.E., & Meeus, W.H.J. 2008 Adolescents music preferences and personality characteristics. European Journal of Personality. 22: 109-130 (2008). Published online 7 November 2007 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/per.665 Godt, Irving 2005 Music: A practical definition. The Musical Times, 146: 83-8. Hargreaves, D.J., Comber, C.J.F., & Colley, A.M. 1995 Effects of age, gender, and training on the musical preferences of British secondary school students. Journal of Research in Music Education, 43(3), 242-50. Hart, M., Agnich, L.E., Stogner, J., & Miller, B.L. 2014 Me and My Drank: exploring the relationship between musical preferences and purple drank experimentation. American Journal of Criminal Justice March 2014 Volume 39 Issue 1 pp. 172-186. 187

ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Health and Wellness Kaiser Family Foundation. 2004 Parents, Media and Public Policy. Menlo Park, CA: Authors. Lehtimaki, Anne. 2011 The impact of biological factors on musicality. Retrieved on August 5, 2013 from www2.aka.fi/tiedostot/2011tyot/ Viksu%20Anne%20Lehtimaki.pdf Martin, Q., Peters, R.J. Jr., Amos, C., Yacoubian G., Johnson R., Meshack, A., & Essien, E. The relationship between sexual abuse and drug use: a view of African-American college students in Texas. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. 2005: 4 (1):23-33. PMID: 16870570 Mulder, J., Ter Bogt, T.F.M., Raaijmakers, Q.A.W., & Sikkema, P. 2010 From death metal to R&B? Consistency of music preferences among Dutch adolescents and young adults. Psychology of Music, 38, 67-83. Retrieved on October 16, 2013 from http://pom.sagepub.com/ content/38/1/67 Reddick, B.H. & Beresin, E.V. 2002 Rebellious rhapsody: Metal, community, and individuation. American Psychiatry, 26 (1), 51-59. Rentfrow, Peter J. 2012 The role of music in everyday life: Current directions in the social psychology of music. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. Vol 6 Issue 5, 402-416, May 2012. Roberts, Donald F., Christenson, Peter G., & Gentile, Douglas A. 2003 The effects of violent music on children and adolescents. Retrieved on September 10, 2013 from http://www.drdouglas.org/ drrdpdfs/106027_pdf Schafer, T., & Sedlmeier, P. 2010 What makes us like music? Determinants of music preference. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 4, 223-234 188

Determinants of Music Type Preference of University Students in Davao City ACCOUNTANCY AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION White, C. 2011 The effects of class, age, gender and race on musical preferences: An examination of the omnivore/univore. Retrieved on October 16, 2013 from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache: ds13mj1hbvgj:scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-09072001 Yutsuru 2011 Original Pinoy music. Retrieved on July 5, 2013 from http://www. studymode.com/essays/original-pinoy-music-639515.html 189