WHAT YOUR MUSIC TASTE REVEALS ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY, BASED ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

Matt Case - March 8th, 2024 - 8:31am PST 

Research reveals that music preferences might reflect more about personality traits than previously believed. A study by Dr. Sandra Matz of Columbia Business School indicates that individuals who favor songs with heavy bass tend to exhibit specific personality characteristics, suggesting a novel marketing strategy in the music sector. This study highlights a correlation between a preference for bass-heavy music and traits found in men, extroverts, and those with higher levels of psychopathic tendencies.

Contrary to the stereotypical association of psychopaths with classical music, as depicted by fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter, a 2017 study indicates a preference for songs like Blackstreet's "No Diggity" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" among those with higher psychopathy scores. In contrast, individuals with lower scores showed a preference for tracks like Sia's "Titanium" and The Knack's "My Sharona."

Further research by Dr. David Greenberg suggests a connection between cognitive styles and music tastes, differentiating between empathetic individuals and "systematizers," who view the world through a more mechanistic lens. Greenberg's work proposes that musical preferences may closely align with cognitive approaches and interactions with the surrounding environment.