To test Music Marker Theory (MMT) positing that early adolescents’ preferences for nonmainstream types of popular music indicate concurrent and later minor delinquency.
MMT was tested in a 4-year longitudinal study (n = 309).
The results showed that early fans of different types of rock (eg, rock, heavy metal, gothic, punk), African American music (rhythm and blues, hip-hop), and electronic dance music (trance, techno/hardhouse) showed elevated minor delinquency concurrently and longitudinally. Preferring conventional pop (chart pop) or highbrow music (classic music, jazz), in contrast, was not related to or was negatively related to minor delinquency.
Early music preferences emerged as more powerful indicators of later delinquency rather than early delinquency, indicating that music choice is a strong marker of later problem behavior. The mechanisms through which music preferences are linked to minor delinquency are discussed within the framework of MMT.
Comments
Letter to Editor: Early Adolescent Music Preferences and Minor Delinquency
Dear Sir or Madam of the editorial board,
Even though I applaud the effort and thoroughness of the conducted longitudinal study layout, I have some concerns in light of the proposed hypotheses and theory. The authors conclude that by applying their six step Music Marker Theory ([1], p: e382) and the resulting statistical analyses conducted in this paper, a clear relationship can be shown between music preference and delinquencies in sub categories of their analysis. Reaching this conclusion with the analysed data is equivalent with balancing on a high-rope across the British channel.
The authors attempt to study and test their theory in light of developmental perspectives, spanning adolescence, however lack to control for additional factors spanning the whole of the developmental spectrum. To give a full spectrum, and therefore a substantial covariate within this study, the authors would have to at least control for additional factors such as IQ and socio-economic background, which can play an even greater role than the here proposed music preferences. In this light, I am not saying that music cannot have an influence whatsoever, I am more so saying it cannot be 'blamed' as the 'only' vantage ground.
Additionally, the definition, or lack thereof, of the musical genres appears nearly exclusively as an endorsed Hobman's choice. In other words, missing a detailed definition of 'rebellious', 'conventional' and 'mainstream'in conjunction with the genres. Who has set those prefixes to the proposed genres and why are they solely - nearly stereotypically - attached to specific genres, e.g. rebellious rock music? What is rebellious rock music? Giving the Zeitgeist of different genres, it is not clear as to how the authors can make such a clear distinction.
Turning to the proposed and tested 6 point Music Marker Theory (MMT), leaves it standing on shaky legs:
1. This hypothesis seems rather opportunistic as this 'constriction' more so appears as a wish to break out of this confinement than as a break and encouragement to stay within it [3].
2. Uses an unclear terminology of mainstream
3. States a truism, generalizing across all groups
4. Lacks clear terminology
5. Unclear view of mainstream and nonmainstream youths in this context
6. MMT focuses on deviant media, without defining what deviant material is
For the reasons mentioned, it appears less of a 'safe proposal' to predict later norm-breaking behaviour in adolescent music preferences; a) core aspects are not defined, b) hypotheses are not clearly formulated and c) the lack of additional covariates in the statistical analyses.
The authors, actually do pose the right question at the end of the paper; namely to investigate in detail the exact set of mechanisms through which music preferences influence problem behaviour. Only when being able to draw a clear picture, controlling for major impacting factors such as IQ, socio-economic status and education leading up to the academic achievement in addition to the aspects proposed in this paper, can the here proposed bold claim of music being THE medium to separate 'mainstream from non-mainstream youth', been argued further.
References
[1] Ter Bogt, TFM, Keijsers, L & Meeus, WHJ, Early Adolescent Music Preferences and Minor Delinquency.Pediatrics. 2013; 131, e380 - e389
[2] Ter Bogt, TFM, Mulder, J, Raaijmakers, QAW & Nic Gabhainn, S,Moved by Music: a typology of music listeners. Psychology Music. 2011; 39(2): 147-163
[3] Goldscheider, FK & Goldscheider C, The effect of childhood family structure on leaving and returning home. Journal of Marriage and Family. 1998;60(3): 745-756
Conflict of Interest:
None declared