Underdogs, Musicians, and Music: Evaluations of “Underdogs” and “Topdogs” Based on Music Genre Affiliation

The study measured perceptions of underdog (versus topdog) musical listeners/producers in terms of motivation, work ethic, and likeability. We hypothesized and found that underdogs described in vignette scenarios received more favorable evaluations than topdogs depending on their role and associated music genre.