The impact of age and migration background on the development of the open-earedness of students in grades 5-7

Abstract

In earlier studies, open-earedness was examined within the framework of the development of children’s musical preferences. These studies suggest the impact of age and migration background on the development of the open-earedness of elementary school children as a process of the development of musical preferences and an increased focus on certain musical genres. Until today, it has been uncertain whether: (a) this process continues in the lower grades of secondary schools and (b) this process is additionally influenced by the children’s migration background. In this study, the impact of age and migration background on the open-earedness of students in grades 5 to 7 (n = 238) was examined in an experimental cross-sectional study. While age and migration background were collected in a questionnaire, the open-earedness was operationalized with the Osnabrück Open-Earedness Index (OOI). The analysis of variance supports the conclusion that open-earedness isn’t influenced by advancing age or the migration background of the children in grades 5 to 7. We also discuss alternative conclusions in relation to the OOI as a method of operationalizing open-earedness.