Abstract
The AIRS Test Battery of Singing Skills (ATBSS) is a comprehensive instrument that was designed to acquire data from varied age, cultural and ethnic groups. The aim of the present research was twofold. First, it aimed to examine favorite songs and singing of melodic elements and a familiar tune using tasks from the ATBSS in two underrepresented groups of children: Brazilians in Brazil and Latinos in the United States. Second, the research aimed at contributing cultural data to the body of knowledge on the ATBSS. Two studies investigated singing behaviors in 48 children using two components from the ATBSS and a researcher-developed scale of children’s musical habits that was completed by their parents. Findings were equivalent across both studies in that girls significantly outperformed boys in two singing tasks. Latino children in the U.S., however, showed higher singing test scores than their Brazilian counterparts. Consistent with previous research, these results suggest that gender and culture play important roles in singing development in middle childhood.
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