title: Measuring engagement with music: development of an informant-report questionnaire.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes the development of the Music Engagement Questionnaire (MusEQ), a 35-item scale to measure engagement with music in daily life. Music has implications for well-being and for therapy, notably for individuals living with dementia. A number of excellent scales or questionnaires are now available to measure music engagement. Unlike these scales, the MusEQ may be completed by either the participant or an informant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study 1 drew on a community-based sample of 391 participants. Exploratory factor analysis revealed six interpretable factors, which formed the basis for construction of six subscales. Study 2 applied the MusEQ to a group of participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 16) as well as a group of neurotypical older adults (OA; n = 16). Informants completed the MusEQ, and the OA group also completed the self-report version of the MusEQ. Both groups had an interview in which they described the place music had in their lives. These interviews were scored by three independent raters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MusEQ showed excellent internal consistency. Five of the factor-derived subscales showed good or excellent internal consistency. MusEQ scores were moderately correlated with a global rating of 'musicality' and with music education. There was strong agreement between self-report and informant-report data. MusEQ scores showed a significant positive relationship to independent ratings of music engagement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MusEQ provides a meaningful and reliable option for measuring music engagement among participants who are unable to complete a self-report questionnaire.
authors: a Department of Psychology , Queen's University at Kingston , Kingston , Canada.
authors: Ashley D
authors: AD
authors: Vanstone
authors: a Department of Psychology , Queen's University at Kingston , Kingston , Canada.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Wolf
authors: a Department of Psychology , Queen's University at Kingston , Kingston , Canada.
authors: Tina
authors: T
authors: Poon
authors: a Department of Psychology , Queen's University at Kingston , Kingston , Canada.
authors: Lola L
authors: LL
authors: Cuddy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009147:Music Therapy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
keywords: dementia and cognitive disorders; music and arts; psychological and social aspects; psychosocial interventions; quantitative methods and statistics