The present study introduces the German version of the Gold-MSI inventory, a tool for evaluating self-reported musical abilities and musical expertise. The Gold-MSI is based around the multidimensional construct of Musical Sophistication and builds on the idea that musical expertise cannot only be developed through musical training on an instrument but also through active engagement with music in its many facets. The questionnaire was developed with a very large English sample (Müllensiefen et al., 2014) and comprises musical expertise with five factors as well as the general factor Musical Sophistication. The English Gold-MSI questionnaire was translated into German and evaluated with a German sample (N = 641). Using confirmative factor analysis the underlying factor structure was confirmed. Furthermore, the results show high reliabilities of the five sub-factors as well as the general factor Musical Sophistication (Cronbach’s alpha between .72 and .91.). Additionally, relationships between variables of the socio-economic status and the sub-factors of the Gold-MSI of the German sample are investigated using a structural equation model. The statistical model reveals positive relationships between income and professional status on the one hand and musical training, perceptual abilities and emotional engagement with music on the other hand. The inventory is freely available and is designed to contribute to the refined investigation of musical sophistication and expertise in German speaking countries.
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