Development and Validation of a Music Self-Concept Inventory for College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a Music Self-Concept Inventory (MSCI) for college students that is easy to administer and reflects the global nature of this construct. Students ( N = 237) at a private college in the midwestern United States completed the initial survey, which contained 15 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Three subscales determined by previous research included (a) support or recognition from others, (b) personal interest or desire, and (c) self-perception of music ability. A series of exploratory factor analyses supported this model and indicated that deleting two items loading <.40 on their intended subscales improved validity and helped attain simple structure. The final version of the MSCI contains 13 items, explains 63.6% of the variance, and maintains high reliability (total: α = .94; subscales: α = .83–.92). Validity was demonstrated through correlation between the MSCI and another measure of music self-perception ( r = .94), MSCI scores and years of participation in music activities ( r = .64), and interfactor correlations ( r = .71–.75). This instrument will provide a tool for researchers and educators to assess change or development in music self-concept and examine other variables related to this construct.