Original scientific paper

https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v18i2.1577

Verification of Metric Characteristics of the Bentley Test of Musical Abilities on a Sample of Croatian Music School Students

Davor Brđanović ; Music school in Varaždin

Abstract

Theories and research try to explain musical ability as primarily innate or acquired, as well as single or composed of several elementary abilities. However, a satisfactory definition of this skill (or these skills) implies pluralism of views, theories and research. The Measures of Musical Abilities test, by Arnold Bentley, diagnoses the current level of basic musical skills of children aged 7 to 14. This paper describes the test applied in Croatia for the first time. By checking metric characteristics of the test on a sample of Croatian music school students, the obtained coefficient α was 0.74, whereas with the test-retest method r was 0.81, indicating a satisfactory reliability of the test. The significances of the correlations of students' results achieved in the test and teachers' assessments of students' abilities, and their moderately high positive correlation, confirm the validity of the test. In comparison with the results of other available relevant research, in this study the lower score on the chord analysis test and the lower total score on the Bentley test were obtained, which may be explained by general cultural differences, as well as different methods of musical training in different countries. The obtained results show that the higher number of years of musical training is significant for a higher total score on the Bentley test.

Keywords

music; Music School in Varaždin; test reliability; test validity

Hrčak ID:

160251

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/160251

Publication date:

19.6.2016.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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