Relationship of music preference and music function with coping in university students

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purposes of this study were to explore the relationship between music preferences and coping strategies, determine the components structure of the function of music listening, and explore the relationship between music function and coping strategies. Participants were 200 undergraduate students at a Midwestern university. They completed the Music Function Questionnaire (MFQ), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ), and the Short Test of Music Preferences (STOMP). A principal components analysis was conducted to identify music function components. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationships of music preferences components with coping strategies and music function components with coping strategies.

Findings and Conclusions: Three of the four STOMP music preference subscales had significant positive correlations with overall coping scores. Internal consistency reliability estimates for these subscales with this sample were lower than expected, however, so these results should be interpreted with caution. A one-factor solution emerged for music function from the MFQ. Music function was positively and moderately correlated with overall coping. In addition, the eight coping subscales were significantly and linearly related to music function. MFQ may actually be a measure of "music coping" rather than a measure of dimensions of music function. These results can help clinicians to explore and understand the role of music in the lives of their clients, and how music may be used to help them cope with specific stressful life events.