An Independent Psychometric Evaluation of the PROMS Measure of Music Perception Skills

Abstract

The Profile of Music Perception Skills (PROMS) is a recently developed measure of perceptual music skills which has been shown to have promising psychometric properties. In this paper we extend the evaluation of its brief version to three kinds of validity using an individual difference approach. The brief PROMS displays good discriminant validity with working memory, given that it does not correlate with backward digit span (r = .04). Moreover, it shows promising criterion validity (association with musical training (r = .45), musicianship status (r = .48), and self-rated musical talent (r = .51)). Finally, its convergent validity, i.e. relation to an unrelated measure of music perception skills, was assessed by correlating the brief PROMS to harmonic closure judgment accuracy. Two independent samples point to good convergent validity of the brief PROMS (r = .36; r = .40). The same association is still significant in one of the samples when including self-reported music skill in a partial correlation (rpartial = .30; rpartial = .17). Overall, the results show that the brief version of the PROMS displays a very good pattern of construct validity. Especially its tuning subtest stands out as a valuable part for music skill evaluations in Western samples. We conclude by briefly discussing the choice faced by music cognition researchers between different musical aptitude measures of which the brief PROMS is a well evaluated example.

Assessing musical ability quickly and objectively: development and validation of the Short‐PROMS and the Mini‐PROMS

“…The association between the composite index score of the three variables and the PROMS‐S was r = 0.55 ( P < 0.001). The correlations are similar to those reported between the PROMS and the same three criterion variables, which were r = 0.42, r = 0.41, and r = 0.63, respectively, and between the Brief‐PROMS and years of musical training and musicianship status, which were r = 0.41 and r = 0.48, respectively (music qualifications were not assessed in that study).…”

“…These extensions relative to previous measures resulted in a battery with nine test components: melody, tuning, tempo, rhythm, embedded rhythms, accent, pitch, timbre, and loudness. Different studies have provided evidence in support of the PROMS’ reliability and convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity …”

“…). The Brief‐PROMS was found to exhibit good reliability and validity in two studies . In contrast to the Brief‐PROMS that used the full‐length 18‐trial subtests, the current study used the shortened 8‐ to 10‐trial scales developed in the context of studies 1–3.…”

“…One way to shorten the battery is to use selected subtests only. This strategy was used in the Brief‐PROMS, which takes half an hour to complete . However, because it omits subtests that are either key components of musical perception, such as timbre and pitch, or novel ways of assessing musical abilities, as in the Embedded Rhythm subtest, the aim of the current research was to develop a new measure that (1) would preserve the wide range of musical abilities assessed by the PROMS and (2) could be administered in 30 min or less.…”

A comparison of serial order short-term memory effects across verbal and musical domains

“…Likewise, even though studies on musical aptitude have shown that musical test batteries can estimate a general form of musical aptitude in both musician and nonmusician participants, they also have highlighted the existence of varying patterns of musical sophistication, with different musical aspects (such as pitch-related vs. rhythm-related skills) being developed to different extents (see, e.g., Kunert, Willems, & Hagoort, 2016;Law & Zentner, 2012;Müllensiefen, Gingras, Musil, & Stewart, 2014).…”