Are there universal patterns between personality and musical preferences that cut across cultures and sociodemographic details? A new study intriguingly says yes.
Previous studies have looked at relationships between musical preference and personality types. A new study recently published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, however, looked for university commonalities within those relationships when it comes to Western music genres.
Universals and variations in musical preferences: A study of preferential reactions to Western music in 53 countries was spearheaded by Dr. David Greenberg, an honorary research associate at the University of Cambridge and a postdoctoral scholar at Bar-Ilan University. In order to gain meaningful results, the scope of the research was large, and incorporated two separate studies.
- Study 1 involved 284,935 participants in 53 countries;
- Study 2 involved 71,714 participants in 36 countries;
- Total results involved data from 356,649 people across six continents.
In addition to their preferential reactions to various genres of music, participants offered details about personality traits and demographic data. The so-called Big Five personality traits were used to organize the results, with clear patterns that were universal across all countries and cultures. That incorporates results from participants of different genders, ethnicities, and other factors.
Breaking down the parameters
The music was categorized according to a widely used framework called, appropriately, the MUSIC model. Western music was used for the study, since it is widely available across the globe.
- Mellow: romantic, slow, and quiet — soft rock, R&B, and adult contemporary;
- Unpretentious: relaxing, simple in structure and non-aggressive — country and roots;
- Sophisticated: complex and dynamic — classical music, opera, avant-garde and traditional jazz;
- Intense: loud, aggressive, may be distorted — classic rock, punk, heavy metal, and power pop;
- Contemporary: rhythmic, upbeat, electronic — rap, electronica, Latin, and Euro-pop.
The Big Five theory, first developed in 1949, breaks down basic personality types and the traits associated with them.
- Openness: imaginative, spontaneous;
- Conscientiousness: thoughtful, goal-oriented;
- Extraversion: sociable, seeks excitement;
- Agreeableness: kind, oriented towards considering and looking after others;
- Neuroticism: sadness, anxiety.
The results
The study found universal correlations between those two sets of parameters:
- Extraversion with contemporary music;
- Conscientiousness with unpretentious music;
- Agreeableness with mellow and unpretentious music;
- Openness with mellow, contemporary, intense and sophisticated music.
Researchers had correctly predicted some of the results. For example, they accurately predicted that conscientious personality types, with a love of order and acceptance of authority, would not prefer the so-called intense music styles, which are often rooted in a rebellious attitude.
While much of the data was not unexpected, one finding surprised Greenberg. “We thought that neuroticism would have likely gone one of two ways, either preferring sad music to express their loneliness or preferring upbeat music to shift their mood. Actually, on average, they seem to prefer more intense musical styles, which perhaps reflects inner angst and frustration.
“That was surprising, but people use music in different ways – some might use it for catharsis, others to change their mood. So there may be subgroups who score high on neuroticism who listen to mellow music for one reason and another subgroup which is more frustrated and perhaps prefer intense music to let off steam. We’ll be looking into that in more detail.”
In a surprise to no one, the researchers did find some regional variations, such as the fact that the link between extroverts and contemporary music was strongest in equatorial regions, particularly in Central and South America. That correlation was highest in Brazil, and lowest in China. They posit that climate and geography may play a role in shaping personality types, and by extension, preferences in music.
Our musical preferences are also, to a certain extent, fluid, as the researchers note. It doesn’t mean that an extrovert is automatically going to follow the pattern — the data looks at averages over the entire database.
In fact, Greenberg notes there are ways that sticking with those preferences may be counterproductive. “If people who score high for neuroticism, for example, are being fed more intense music, and they’re already feeling stressed and frustrated, is that helping with their anxiety or is it just reinforcing and perpetuating? These are the questions we now need to answer.”
What’s the point?
The researchers point out that the data serves as a strong base for further study. “We were surprised at just how much these patterns between music and personality replicated across the globe,” says Dr. Greenberg.
Greenberg is a saxophonist as well as neuroscientist and psychologist. He’s quoted in a media release.
“People may be divided by geography, language and culture, but if an introvert in one part of the world likes the same music as introverts elsewhere, that suggests that music could be a very powerful bridge. Music helps people to understand one another and find common ground.”
Greenberg, who is currently based in Jerusalem, has already used music as a way of connecting Israelis and Palestinians in a work environment, and has given a TEDx talk on the subject.
He foresees research that would look deeper into the intersections of biology and culture that come together in our response to music. As a scientist, he’s looking to find concrete ways of doing what music lovers already know about: using music as a bridge between cultures.
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