Quote:
Originally Posted by toretorden
I realize that, I'm pointing out that there might be weaknesses by doing it that way.
Just as an example, what if the people who play instruments on average come from families with a significantly higher income than the ones who don't? Family income could then be a variable that helps explain the data, but it's not accounted for in the survey ("hidden variable"). You might end up saying that ability with an instrument correlates positively with understanding of maths when it should have been family income.
Just an example of a variable - there could be many more .. Probably also much better examples.
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i think you're pretty accurate with your assumptions about this survey. i'd be curious to see the results as well, but in the 5-6 years i've spent on various music forums i've never seen anyone share their results.
there's also no definition on what constitutes being a 'musician' which leaves a whole other aspect of interpretation to affect the collected data. is it just a matter of owning an instrument? being able to play at an arbitrary level of technical proficiency? an arbitrary amount of live performances within a specified time frame? or something else?
is there a connection between math class abilities and learning an instrument? for sure. especially if you're a guitar player using tablature as your main learning resource. although i think anti-social / reclusive behavior is just as likely to influence someone to pick up an instrument than their ability in math class.