District Effect of Model Characteristics on Musical Preference of

In an effort to compare the effect of modeling on the development of musical preference, the author of this study compared subject race and sex with preferred-performer race and sex, examined subject-preferred solos given solo models of differing race and sex, and determined the relationship between performer preference and solo choices. Junior high males (n = 67) andfemales (n = 112), composed of blacks (n = 110), whites (n = 45), and Hispanics (n = 24), indicated their preferences for the 21 performers of the popular song "USA for Africa: We Are the World. " The students then viewed the videotape We Are the World and verbally indicated which solo they would prefer to sing. Statistical comparisons were made between performer preference and solo choices comparing model race and sex with subject race and sex. Results indicated that, generally, subjects tended to prefer same-race and same-sex models. Consistent with previous research, the tendency was stronger for males than females