Adolescents’ Perceptions of the Music of Male and Female Composers

Abstract

This study investigated gender bias in school students’ perceptions of the work of male and female composers; 153 16-19-year-olds rated six classical, New Age or jazz musical excerpts which were attributed to either male or female composers. Analyses indicated that gender stereotyping effects were overwhelmingly confined to jazz, which was also the most sex-typed genre and was perceived as more male. In the evaluations of jazz excerpts attributed to female composers there was evidence of pro-female bias by female students and anti-female bias by male students. There was also evidence that attributes associated with traditional gender stereotypes were applied differently to the same music, depending on the gender of the apparent composer.