Gender and Attraction: Predicting Middle School Performance Ensemble Participation.

This study was designed to predict middle school sixth graders' group membership in band (n = 81), chorus (n = 45), and as non-participants in music performance ensembles (n = 127), as determined by gender and factors on the Attraction Toward School Performance Ensemble (ATSPE) scale (α = .88). Students completed the ATSPE as elementary fifth graders and were classified by group after enrolling into middle school. Six factors on the ATPSE and gender were programmed as predictors in a direct discriminant function analysis. Results show that gender (.898), parental support (.715), and a negative relationship concerning future ambitions in school music (-.633) were the only significant predictors of membership in band and in the group classified as non-participants in music performance ensembles. Findings suggest that the stronger parental support is toward school music, the greater a prediction can be made of middle school sixth graders' school performance ensemble participation. Participation in middle school music performance ensembles is a decision made by students, but often with the influence of other people. Students tend to be surrounded by the influences of not only their parents but of their friends, their elementary music teacher, and their peers. Consequently, the decision to participate in a middle school music performance ensemble may be one that is more socially influenced by others, rather than one that is made solely by oneself. Attraction studies predict students' participation in school music ensembles. Specifically, most of these studies determine why students are attracted to middle school beginning band (Warnock, 2004; Warnock, 2005; Warnock, 2007). The decision to participate tends to be based on a combination of social and musical reasons, as well as the influences of parents and the home environment. Attraction to middle school beginning band tends to be largely tied to social reasons, the majority of which are based on the influences of friends (Warnock, 2005). The concept of attraction to musical ensembles is rooted in attraction theory. Attraction theory suggests that people have intentions toward associating with individuals who have similar interests or even groups formed by those similar individuals (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1972). The premise of attraction theory implies that intentions are an interpersonal element that is necessary before an individual can be attracted to another or to a group. After attraction, decisions of association may occur. Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) theorize that statements of intentions are like statements of beliefs, that when measured with an appropriate instrument, may result in the prediction of one's attitude toward an object or situation. Intention becomes a pre-behavior stage of attitude; in other words, intention captures the wish or drive of one's attitude toward something or someone. The authors also suggest that one can have interpersonal intentions to engage in a particular behavior. Their theory of interpersonal attraction is an evaluative part of the formation of an attitude toward an object or situation. There has to be some degree of information received by the individual in order to develop an attraction component of attitude. Differences in individuals' attraction toward an object or situation are a function of the individuals' information about the object or situation. Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) suggest that methods of determining attraction within an attitude are subject to factor analyses on psychometric scales or Likert-type questionnaires. Attraction is the effect of a humanization process. Individuals, Fishbein and Ajzen (1975) contend, show attraction to another when the other person or group exhibits similar human characteristics. As positive attraction increases, the level of esteem for the identified person or group increases. Conversely, when attraction decreases, esteem for the identified person or group decreases. …