This document provides an overview of the methodology for a doctoral study examining the cognitive and linguistic correlates of musical sensitivity in children. The study will assess various cognitive abilities, musical sensitivity measures, and their relationships. It will involve measuring phonological awareness, cognitive styles, musical preferences, and aptitude in 60 children. Correlation analyses and identification of predictive cognitive abilities will be conducted. The methodology section outlines the research questions, design, variables, tools, and data analysis techniques to be used.

1. Cognitive and Linguistic Correlates
of Musical Sensitivity in Children
Supervisor-
Prof. V. Sudhakar
Advisory members-
Prof. R. Kishore Kumar
Madhumita Sinha
Shiuli Maity
Doctoral Student in Education

2. Cognitive and Linguistic Correlates of Musical Sensitivity in
CONTENT:
Section I: Introduction
1. Introduction to the Problem
2. Conceptual Framework of the Study
3. Significance of the Study
4. Research Questions
5. Statement of the Problem
Section II: Review of Related Literature
Section III: Methodology
1. Approach of the Study
2. Objectives of the Study
3. Research Design
4. Population, Sample and Sampling Technique
5. Variables
6. Research Tools
7. Data analysis and Interpretation Technique

3. Introduction:
• We all are born listener. Any children in India starts his/her musical journey through
lullaby. A lullaby/ cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually
played for (or sung to) children.
• Lullaby is the beginning but not the end. With the passage of time we expose to the
different types of music (Indian/western, classical/modern) and instruments. Music
becomes the part of our everyday life. Music can represent our mood, behaviour,
emotion, belief, tradition etc.
• Many research studies have examined the positive impact of music as a medium for
enhancing development in all domains among children like cognitive, communication
and language, physical/ motor, social-emotional and self-help.

4. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY:
 Understanding Music
 Sources/ Genres of Music
 Indian Classical Music
 Western Classical Music
 Music and Music Education
 Music education prepares students to learn,
 Music education facilitates student academic achievement,
 Music education develops the creative capacities for lifelong success
 Music in Classroom

5. Contd…
 Music and Language Development
 Music and Cognitive Development
 Theoretical Background of the study
 Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
 Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
 Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
 Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory

6. Research questions:
1. Which aspects of cognitive abilities are
correlated with Musical Sensitivity?
2. Which aspects of cognitive abilities are
higher predictors of Musical Sensitivity?
3. Do boys and girls differ with respect to their
cognitive abilities and Musical Preferences
and Musical Sensitivity?
4. Do cognitive styles determine musical
preferences of children?

7. METHODOLOGY:
1. Aims of the study:
Present study is aimed to know how both Indian and western classical
music is helping students for better cognition, English language
development as a second language at elementary level. For that reason,
researcher wants to know about the cognitive abilities, cognitive styles,
musical sensitivity, musical preferences, listening habits of music,
musical experiences etc. researcher wants to examine the correlation
between cognitive abilities and musical sensitivity and also to identify
the cognitive abilities that are reliable predictors of musical sensitivity.
2. Approaches of the Study:
In this doctoral work both qualitative and quantitative methods will be
adopted and appropriate data analysis techniques will be evolved.

8. 3. Objectives of the study:
1. To measure the cognitive abilities and musical sensitivity (musical
aptitude, musical competence, musical perception, musical production) of
children.
2. To examine the relationship between cognitive styles and music
preferences.
3. To examine how phonological awareness and music perception are
related.
4. To examine the correlation between cognitive abilities and musical
sensitivity.
5. To identify the cognitive abilities that are reliable predictors of musical
sensitivity.

9. 4. RESEARCHDESIGN
COGNITIVE
ABILITIES
PHOLOLOGICAL
AWARENESS
MUSICAL SENSITIVITY
1. MUSICALAPTITUDE
2. MUSICAL
COMPETENC
3. MUSICAL
PRODUCTION
4. MUSICAL PERCEPTION
COGNITIVE
STYLES
MUSICAL
PREFERRENCES

10. 5. Population, Sample andSampling Techniques
• Population: All the school going children who are
now in VII grade will be considered as the
population for the present study.
• Sample and Sampling: Purposive sampling
technique will be adopted to select 60 children of
class VII in the schools of Hyderabad city. Among
them 30 will be girls and 30 boys of 12-13 age
group. In selecting boys and girls equal weightage
will be given to musicians and non-musicians. It
is expected that all the students are being taught
English as second language in school.

11. 6. VARIABLES OF THE STUDY:
Independent Variables
1.Cognitive abilities
2. Phonological Awareness
3. Hearing Test
4. Cognitive Styles
5. Personality
Dependent Variables:
1. Musical Sensitivity
2. Music Preferences/Interests
3. Music Perception
4. Music Production
5. Musical Aptitude
6. Musical Competence

12. 7. Research Tools:
A. In this present study, a number of tests will be
administered to measure the cognitive abilities and musical
sensitivity, like-
• One aptitude test will be developed.
• A standardized musical competence test will be adopted.
• The Profile of Music Perception Skills( PROMS) battery
will be adopted.
• Music production abilities will be tasted by music
screening for children. An expert musician support will be
taken to assess the music production abilities of the
children.

13. contd….
B. In order to examine the relationship between cognitive
styles and music preferences-
1. one open ended questionnaire will be developed to
measure music preferences of children.
2. A standardized cognitive style inventory will be adopted
to measure the cognitive style of the children.
C. Phonological awareness will be measured with three
subtests from BAKO to examine how phonological
awareness and music perception are related. Also other
phonological assessment batteries will be explored for the
purpose of the study.

14. .8. DataAnalysis and Interpretation Techniques
The collected data will be analyzed using both
qualitative and quantitative method. Simple
statistical techniques may be used.