2026/07/21 by Valnea Žauhar, Igor Bajšanski, Sabina Vidulin
paper · doi:10.1177/03057356261462944
The aim of the study was to examine the validity of the Past Experience with Listening to Classical Music Scale (PastELCMS) developed for adolescents and children, and to explore its role in preference for sophisticated music. In Study 1, participants were 151 students from a general education school who rated their liking for six excerpts of sophisticated music and completed questionnaires about previous experience with listening to classical music and other music-related tendencies and behaviours. Study 2 involved 286 pupils attending a primary music school. They reported their liking for an excerpt of classical music and completed questionnaires on the emotions evoked by the music while listening to the excerpt and on previous experience with listening to classical music. PastELCMS correlated positively with preference for sophisticated music, cognitive and emotional music listening, and music consumption in Study 1, as well as with liking for a classical music excerpt and music-evoked activation while listening to the excerpt in Study 2. Past experience with listening to classical music also positively predicted liking sophisticated music. Previous experience should be investigated to understand preferences for sophisticated music. PastELCMS is a valid and reliable measure that can be used with adolescents and children.