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Music Preference and Relationship Satisfaction Kory Sims

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Expressions of Personality Music preference Attitudes toward relationships.

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Personality & Music Preference Music has different badge functions for different groups of people. (North And Hargreaves,1999) Music preference is a manifestation of more explicit personality traits (Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003)

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Personality & Relationships An individuals traits and dispositions are not only maintained and validated within personal relationships; they are created there as well (Blumstein & Kollock, 1988). Assumptions: Music and personality are reflective of each other. Relationships are influenced by personality and vice versa.

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What Makes a Satisfying Relationship? Commitment (Rusbult and Bunnk, 1993) Intimacy (Berscheid and Reis, 1998)

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Theoretical Model Music Preference Attitudes Toward Relationships - commitment Relationship Satisfaction

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Musical Preference Hard Musical Forms: Rap Heavy Metal Hard Rock Soft Musical Forms: Christian Country Classical Pop Soft Rock

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Hypothesis Individuals who prefer Hard Musical Forms will be lower in commitment and less satisfied with their relationships. Individuals preferring Soft Musical Forms will be higher in commitment and relationship satisfaction.

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Method 57 participants from a small Midwestern College. Age ranged from 18-22 17 Males & 40 Females 84% affiliated 56% currently involved romantically Participants

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Measures The Commitment Inventory (Stanley & Markman, 1992) 60 questions Includes 10 subscales (all significantly reliable) Alpha =.84 Example: I want to grow old with my partner.

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Commitment Subscales Constraint Commitment (a =.70) Morality of Divorce (a =.94) Availability of Partners (a =.82) Social Pressure (a =.92) Structural Investments (a =.82) Dedication Commitment (a =.78) Relationship agenda (a =.94) Meta-Commitment (a =.79) Couple Identity (a =.90) Primacy of Relationship (a =.87) Satisfaction with Sacrifice (a =.84) Alternative Monitoring (a =.89)

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Relationship Assessment Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS) Adapted from Hendrick (1988): A seven item questionnaire Alpha =.90 Example: How well do your partners usually meet your needs?

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Results Reliability analysis of groupings: Hard Musical Forms: Alpha =.58 Soft Musical Forms: Alpha =.33

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Commitment & Satisfaction The Commitment Inventory & Relationship Assessment Scale r =.628, p