ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Performance Science
The Influence of Age and Gender on Self-Assessment of Piano Competencies
Provisionally accepted
Chen Chen1
Wen Lin2*- 1Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, Guangzhou, China
- 2Guangzhou College of Technology and Business, Foshan, China
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This study examined how pianists assess their own abilities in four areas: technical proficiency, musical understanding, expressive control, and presentation skills. Participants included piano students and professional pianists, all with at least ten years of experience. Results were compared across age and gender groups. The study involved 600 participants divided into three age groups: 13-to 15-year-olds (M=14.2, SD=2.01), 23-to 24-year-olds (M=23.8, SD=2.24), and 36-to 42-year-olds (M=40.4, SD=5.38). Data were collected using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory and a custom-designed piano competency questionnaire. The statistical significance of differences between men and women in their self-assessment of performance skills was then tested. Among music college students (mean age 23.8 years)—the only group where a significant gender difference was found—men rated their technical skills higher than women did. The assessment of other subscales revealed no statistically significant differences between male and female piano players. Overall, the data do not support the idea that gender influences how pianists evaluate their own competencies. In contrast, age differences proved significant across all scales of piano competency (p = 0.00). The results indicate that pianists in older age groups rate their technique, musical literacy, expressiveness, and stage skills more highly. This increase in self-assessment is directly correlated with years of practice. The present findings can be used by music educators, parents, piano enthusiasts, and professional pianists. By understanding how age and gender shape pianists' self-perception, educators can tailor teaching methodologies to align with how students perceive their own skills.
Keywords: age differences in learning, gender differences, music education, piano playing, Self-assessment of skills
Received: 24 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chen and Lin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Wen Lin
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