Determinants of performing arts attendance in Taiwan: a multivariate probit analysis

Abstract

This article uses data collected from a telephone survey of Taiwanese residents to investigate the live performance attendances at four types of performing arts: contemporary drama, traditional theatre, dance and music. We estimate a Multivariate Probit (MVP) model to characterize the audience for each type of performing arts and to find out the pairwise correlations across performing arts. The audience of traditional theatre appears to be quite different from that of the other three types of performing arts. We also show significant and positive correlations across attendances at all four performing arts, with the correlation coefficient between dance and music being the highest. This indicates that performing arts are complements and audiences tend to be ‘omnivorous’ rather than ‘univorous’.

Notes

¹Prieto-Rodríguez and Fernández-Blanco (2000) used a bivariate probit model to analyse the consumption of popular and classical music in Spain. They identified the determinants for the consumption of both types of music and found a significant correlation between both audiences. With two types of music under consideration, the correlation can serve as a measure of omnivorousness, although the authors do not relate their finding to the literature on omnivorous consumption.

²The classification of occupation includes (1) military and public service; (2) professional; (3) agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fishing; (4) mining and quarrying; (5) service; (6) business; (7) homemaking; (8) self-employed; (9) student; (10) electronics; (11) manufacturing; (12) unemployed or retired; and (13) others. Since there does not seem to be clear-cut relationships between these occupations and social status, we do not include occupation as an explanatory variable.

³In 2005, the yearly average exchange rate between US dollars and New Taiwan dollars was US$1 = NT$32.88. Thus, this monthly income amounts to roughly US$780.

⁴‘Aesthetic, educational, and recreational motivations are positively related to the level of education. However, a negative relationship was found between escapism motivation and education level. Customers with a lower educational level are more likely to be motivated to attend live performance as a way to temporarily forget about their troubles or break from the normal routines of everyday life’ (Swanson et al., 2008, p. 318).