Masculinity, femininity, and musical composition psychological and psychoendocrinological aspects of musical and spatial faculties

Author(s): Nieschlag, E.

Journal/Book: Arch Psychol Frankf. 1989; 141: 71-84.

Abstract: Physiological and psychological masculinity and femininity were assessed in relation to musical capacities and spatial ability. Male composers had lower mean testosterone levels than male instrumentalists and male non-musicians; female composers had higher testosterone levels than female instrumentalists and female non-musicians. Testosterone in saliva was the physiological marker for androgyny. All of the groups were found to be psychologically androgynous on Bem's Sex-Role Inventory and all groups had above average spatial ability. Musicians, however, surpassed non-musicians on spatial visualization and on Witelson's Dichaptic Stimulation Test.

Keyword(s): Adult Creativeness ; Gender Identity; Identification Psychology; Music ; Space Perception physiology; Testosterone blood Female; Human; Male Testosterone

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