How different types of music change the way people see you
Have you ever wondered if there was a link between the type of music that you listen to and your personality? Well, you wouldn’t be the first. Psychologists Jason Rentfrow and Sam Gosling were also curious as to the existence of this link, so they conducted research and found that knowing the type of music you listen to can actually lead to surprisingly accurate predictions about your personality. Among these predictions, researchers found that people could make accurate judgments about an individual’s levels of extraversion, creativity, and open-mindedness after listening to 10 of their favorite songs. Extraverts tend to seek out songs with heavy bass lines, while those who enjoy more complex styles such as jazz and classical music tend to be more creative and have higher IQ scores.
Each genre says something different about the listener and here is a breakdown of what research has determined music says about its listeners.
Pop
Top 40 and pop music suggest that the listener tends to be extraverted, honest, and conventional. While pop music lovers are hard-working and have high self-esteem, researchers suggest that they tend to be less creative and more uneasy.
Rap and Hip-Hop
In spite of the stereotype that rap lovers are more aggressive or violent, researchers have actually found no such link. Rap fans do tend to have high self-esteem and are usually outgoing.
Country
Country music fans are typically hardworking, conventional, and outgoing. While country songs are often centered on heartbreak, people who gravitate towards this genre tend to be very emotionally stable.
Rock / Heavy Metal
Despite the sometimes aggressive image that rock music and heavy metal project, researchers found that fans of this style of music are usually quite gentle. They tend to be creative, but are often introverted and may suffer from low self-esteem.
Indie
Fans of the indie genre are typically introverted, intellectual, and creative. According to researchers, they also tend to be less hard-working and less gentle. Passivity, anxiousness, and low self-esteem are other common personality characteristics.
Dance
After looking into this genre, psychologists determined that people who prefer dance music are usually outgoing and assertive.
Classical
Classical music lovers are typically more introverted, but are also at ease with themselves and the world around them. They are creative and have a good sense of self-esteem.
Jazz, Blues, and Soul
People who enjoy jazz, blues, or soul music were found to be more extraverted with high self-esteem. They also tend to be very creative, intelligent and at ease.
Thought there is merit to the research that was completed, there is, like all experiments, exceptions to the findings. Not all of the listeners of a certain genre are going to exhibit the traits listed above. However, they may have one or more of them that do apply, and they may also show personality traits from multiple genres that they listen to. Overall, music is clearly linked to our personalities and can help us understand who we, and others, are, based on our most frequently listened-to songs.