Effects of Listeners' and Performers' Race on Music Preferences

Abstract

This study's purpose was to examine the effects of black and white listeners' and performers' race on music preferences. On a Likert-type rating scale, middle-school (n = 102) and university (n =119) listeners indicated how much they liked or disliked 20 taped music examples. On a second rating scale, the listeners selected a point closest to the racial identifier that they believed described the performer's race. A second measurement examined the participants' attitudes toward social encounters with blacks and whites. Only the black listeners showed statistically significant differences in their music preferences for white and black performers (p < .01). These listeners gave stronger preference ratings when they identified the performer's race as black. White listeners' preference ratings, however, were virtually equal for the black and white performers. On the social-encounter measurement, both black and white respondents provided more positive responses to statements of encounters with members of their own race than with the other racial group.