Musical taste "defines personality"

[Peguy]

Musical taste "defines personality"

Fri Sep 5, 5:38 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Fans of classical music and jazz are creative, pop lovers are hardworking and, despite the stereotypes, heavy metal listeners are gentle, creative types who are at ease with themselves.

So says Professor Adrian North of Scotland's Heriot-Watt University who has been studying the links between people's personalities and their choice of music.

"People often define their sense of identity through their musical taste, wearing particular clothes, going to certain pubs, and using certain types of slang," North said.

"It's not surprising that personality should also be related to musical preference."

Read the rest here:
Musical taste "defines personality" - Yahoo! News


I seem to fit the description of the Classical music fan.

[mippus]

Hm, I have doubts about this, I think music often serves as a statussymbol, it reflects (or may reflect) who we want to be, rather than who we are. (just my theory)

[Lithium]

Originally Posted by mippus

Hm, I have doubts about this, I think music often serves as a statussymbol, it reflects (or may reflect) who we want to be, rather than who we are. (just my theory)

Which is connected to personality, wouldn't you say.

[mippus]

Originally Posted by Lithium

Which is connected to personality, wouldn't you say.

good point
However, that would still imply that the relation is not a strong as suggested. Note that social (environmental) pressure might play a great role, beyond type.

[Lateralus]

They're reading way too much into this stuff. What about country music listeners? Hip-hop fans?

The music you hear while growing up has a big influence, and that's not necessarily tied to personality.

[VanillaCat]

Well he's right about me.

[pure_mercury]

Originally Posted by Lateralus

They're reading way too much into this stuff. What about country music listeners? Hip-hop fans?

The music you hear while growing up has a big influence, and that's not necessarily tied to personality.

They're listed as "hardworking and shy" and "outgoing," respectively.

[Lateralus]

Haha

indie lovers lack self-esteem and are not very gentle

[Lateralus]

Originally Posted by pure_mercury

They're listed as "hardworking and shy" and "outgoing," respectively.

Country music listeners are shy? These people must not know the same rednecks I know.

[pure_mercury]

Originally Posted by Lateralus

Country music listeners are shy? These people must not know the same rednecks I know.

Yes, that seems strange, but they went all over the world for this study. I would think that people who listen to country music in Philadelphia are not the same as people who listen to country music in Charlotte or Omaha or Winnipeg.