Individual Differences

Music Preferences

Individuals vary greatly in terms of their music preferences. An individual's musical taste is shaped by cultural and environmental influences (such as exposure to different musical styles, musical training, and social status) as well as individual factors (such as personality, age, and gender). In the past decades, music preferences have mostly been investigated in terms of preference for different musical genres and the extent to which personality traits can explain these preferences. Overall, this line of research has established that people tend to prefer styles of music that reflect their personalities, although the variance explained by personality appears to range from minor to moderate at best. In addition to the “big five” personality traits, some studies have investigated the contribution of other personality-related variables. These include sensation-seeking, absorption, and trait empathy (in other words, the tendency to be empathic).

Sensation-seeking refers to the tendency to seek out feelings and experiences that are varied, novel, and intense, and the willingness to take risks to achieve such experiences. Absorption, on the other hand, can be defined as the tendency to fantasize, become absorbed in one's mental imagery, and appreciate aesthetic experiences. Finally, trait empathy refers to an individual's responsiveness to the observed experiences of others, involving both perspective-taking capabilities and tendencies, and emotional reactivity. Sensation-seeking has been associated with a preference for arousing styles of music, such as different styles of rock and heavy metal. Absorption and trait empathy have both been associated with preference for sad music, suggesting that the enjoyment of sad music may be related to aesthetic appreciation as well as emotional engagement. Most likely there are complex interactions between the different factors contributing to music preferences, as many of these factors—such as personality and musical training, for example—have been shown to be interrelated.

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