Musical aptitude and multiple intelligences among Chinese gifted students in Hong Kong: Do self-perceptions predict abilities?

The relationships between perceived multiple intelligences and musical aptitude were examined in 298 Chinese gifted students in Hong Kong. Self-perceived musical intelligence consistently emerged as the significant predictor of global musical aptitude, and its components of tonal imagery, rhythm imagery, and musical sensitivity, suggesting that self-perceptions did reflect actual abilities. However, there were also subtle differences in the prediction, as greater predictability was observed for tonal imagery. Implications of the findings for identification of musical talent in the school setting are discussed.