Whichever one is you, psychologists have found that your taste in music says a lot about your personality. “People who are high on empathy may be preferring a certain type of music compared to people who are more systematic,” said David Greenberg, a University of Cambridge psychologist.
Personality may influence our musical taste, but it's important to note that changes in musical taste do not indicate a change in personality. Even if we change what we listen to, we implicitly remain the same people.
Studies reveal that a person's taste in music is a good indicator of his or her personality. Whether you're an extrovert or an introvert, everyone likes at least some sort of music. And more often than not, the choice is directly linked to one's personality.
Of the five personality traits we measured, music taste is best able to detect Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness. While these two traits are significantly related to age and gender [3], they also may signify a connection between the common uses of music to regulate emotion or match goal-oriented behavior.
In addition, music preference has an correlation between individuals' emotions and mental health.
This is how your musical taste reveals your IQ. A preference for instrumental music indicates higher intelligence, research finds. People who like ambient music, smooth jazz, film soundtracks, classical music and similar genres without vocals tend to have higher IQs.
Intelligent People and Music
Intelligent people are often more open to different types of music than others, as they understand the complexity and beauty of different genres. They are able to appreciate a wide range of music, from classical to rap and from jazz to electronic.
Most often, introverted individuals favor sophisticated music and/or meaningful lyrics. Inward-directed “introverts” tend to be in touch with their creative side and at ease with their personalities. As a result, it's very easy to see why most classical music fans might be introverts.
Music and Mood
The limbic system, which is involved in processing emotions and controlling memory, “lights” up when our ears perceive music. The chills you feel when you hear a particularly moving piece of music may be the result of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers sensations of pleasure and well-being.
Energetic extroverts have been linked to preferences in happy, upbeat and conventional music, as well as energetic and rhythmic music, such as rap, hip hop, soul, electronic, and dance music. Additionally, extroverts tend to listen to music more and have background music present in their lives more often.
Many researchers believe that by the age of 14 musical preferences are completely developed. Does this mean that your taste in music is set in stone for the rest of your life? Not exactly.
Discovering the music that tickles a person's eardrums seems to reveal a lot, not only about their personality. A study in the Psychology of Music found that music is also a good reflection of our values, which is why we are drawn more to people who have the same taste.
For men, the most important period for forming musical taste is between the ages of 13 to 16. Men were, on average, aged 14 when their favorite song was released. For women, the most important period is between 11 and 14, with 13 being the most likely age for when their favorite song came out.
Confident Individualism. The quiet yet forceful nature of Confident Individualists is clearly reflected in their choice of music: these personalities scored highest for classical (76%), rock (79%, tied with Constant Improvement), and metal (42%) genres.
According to several sources, when a person has good taste in music it means that they are hip. It also means that they posses a wide range in knowledge as far as it pertains to music. In addition, the person also has the ability to identify what the best music is in every category or genre.
He told us: “Children have an 'openness' to new music, and this means parents have an important role to play in developing the music tastes of their kids. By playing children a variety of genres before this critical period, research suggests they will enjoy lots of different types of music as adults.”
People who scored higher in trait extraversion were more likely to have a preference for “unpretentious” music. This included relaxing acoustic music, like country and folk genres. Meanwhile, higher agreeableness was linked with a general liking of music.
Tears and chills – or “tingles” – on hearing music are a physiological response which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, as well as the reward-related brain regions of the brain. Studies have shown that around 25% of the population experience this reaction to music.
People like different music for many different reasons, including their upbringing and culture, what mood they're in, and what the music reminds them of.
Meg White Is The 21st Century's Loudest Introvert : NPR.
Introverts prefer quiet, minimally stimulating environments, while extroverts need higher levels of stimulation to feel their best. Stimulation comes in all forms – social stimulation, but also lights, noise, and so on.
Introverts are good at understanding their emotions and regulating their behavior. They're also particularly skilled at reading other people, an emotional intelligence skill that serves them well in relationships.
The result was that students who scored higher in intelligence were associated with an ear for wordless music genres like big band, classical, and ambient or chill electronica.
Individuals with higher intelligence test scores are more likely to prefer predominantly instrumental music styles. There you have it. All those Bach-listening, Kraftwerk-loving, ambient-adoring strange people in your life are actually the brainy ones. Are you ready for the twist? (No, not the song.):
Classical Music
This theory, which has been dubbed "the Mozart Effect," suggests that listening to classical composers can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst for improving health and well-being.