Are you an introvert who prefers solitude or an extrovert who doesn’t have any issue communicating with others? New research in the field of Music Psychology shows that your music playlist could reveal much about your nature as a person.

What is Music Psychology?

Music Psychology is the study of how music affects behavior and experience on any scale, from the micro (how music effects an individual’s emotional state) to the macro (how music can move masses of people). While the field of music psychology is vast, one of its most prominent focuses is figuring out which kind of people like which music. This information is highly valuable to marketers, politicians, and anyone seeking to have influence.

Music Preferences Are Linked To Personality Types

A number of recent studies from around the world are finding that psychological factors can largely determine the music preferences that people have. Energetic people who are also extroverts, outgoing and (sometimes overly) expressive types, tend to prefer upbeat, dynamic, feel-good music. Soul, electronic, rap, pop and hip-hop tend to appeal the most to such people.

In a study published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts in 2010, researchers examined the connection between the big five personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism, aka O.C.E.A.N.) and music preferences. The study involved 100 volunteers who were asked to rate 20 unfamiliar music tracks. Those identified as extroverts had a natural preference for happy and upbeat music, more so than other volunteers.

A similar experiment was presented in the Journal of Music Therapy in 2005. Researchers worked with 145 male and female students who were chosen at random at different universities. Each volunteer filled out a questionnaire that was used to determine his or her personality type before the start of the clinical trial. Then listening experiments were conducted in which volunteers would pinpoint their favorite piece of music. More upbeat, rhythmical musical pieces were once again the option of preference for individuals who were classified as extroverts by the test.

What kind of music do introverts listen to?

Needless to say, introverts have their specific preferences when it comes to favorite music.

Introverts, those classified as shy, inward-focused individuals, tend to look for music that can be fully enjoyed in private, according to recent research. For these people, the main purpose of music is to stimulate contemplation and produce a sensory response. 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. A recent study in Psych Central reports that rock and heavy metal fans are also creative and not particularly outgoing, and classifies a large portion of listeners to these genres as introverts.

A University research team in the United Kingdom led by professor Adrian North undertook the largest study so far when it comes to music preferences and personality type.

The experiment continued for a period of three years. Over these years, the researchers worked with more than 36,000 people in 60 countries. The volunteers were asked to rate different musical pieces and a questionnaire was used to determine the personality types of these individuals. Apart from the findings about introverts and their music preferences, the researchers also found out that extroverts preferred music styles like blues, jazz, country, reggae, dance, Bollywood music and chart pop.

Professor North concluded that the deep link between musical preference and personality type is one thing that makes people defensive when their likes are being questioned. “Music preference and a person’s outlook on life are intrinsically connected to each other,” North said. This is also one of the main reasons why people tend to bond over music and form friendships with individuals that share similar preferences.

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Listen to these songs and see how your taste in music can predict the way your mind works.

Can You Transcend Your Personality’s Musical Stereotype?

While the music you listen to can be used as an indicator of personality traits, nothing is set in stone. But from the perspective of music psychology, there are outliers in both the extrovert and introvert groups. This means there are certainly extroverts who enjoy heavy metal and introverts who are in love with upbeat, modern pop music. These studies present general tendencies and what people gravitate the most to on the basis of their personality traits.

There are many other personality traits that could potentially have an impact on the tracks that we listen to. A study conducted on over 4,000 participants by 16personalities.com has found out that confident individualists (one of the 16 personalities types on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator scale) like classical, rock and metal music. People who are perfectionists looking for constant improvement tend to be drawn to music like punk and indie. Socially-engaged types opt for electronic, pop and hip-hop music.

As you can see, personalities are multi-faceted. Being extroverted or introverted isn’t the only thing that’s defining you. The wonderful (and incredibly challenging) thing about human psyche is its complexity. Thus, your music preferences are definitely influenced by a lot more than your attitude towards meeting with others and the way in which you handle social encounters.

We live in a world that’s characterized by a plethora of music choices and many people feel overwhelmed. The music that manages to cut through the noise and speak to a person can reveal tons of important information about who he or she really is.

One thing to remember is that music should never foster division and the classification of people. No matter what genre you like, music is here to be enjoyed. It should be used to form bonds, rather than to set boundaries, regardless of personality types.

What is your personality type and what types of music do you like? Post your response in the comments section below.

About The Author

ALICE CLARKE is a writer and a content marketer for The Australian Essay Service Review. Apart from her main job, Alice loves traveling, exploring and writing to share her experience with the world.

Music can do miraculous things and much of its work is done in the subconscious realm. It can make its listeners feel better, forget worries, lift our spirits and more.  Following are ten ways that music and the subconscious engage in their cosmic dance.

1Music Changes Your Way of Thinking

Is it possible that thought can be influenced by sound? A recent study found that specific chords and harmonies in music are able to evoke specific mental states.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/music-changes-the-way-you-think/

2Music Gives You Energy

Is there scientific proof that listening to music while working out can give you more energy? This home-study claims that music provides rhythm to thoughts and that listeners of music gather motivational energy to complete difficult tasks that otherwise appear as too challenging to us.

http://musicandenergy.weebly.com/process.html

 

3Music Soothes The Heart

Medical research is now showing that music has soothing capabilities for the physical body’s central organ, the heart. This study found that listening to the right music can help to lessen blood pressure and reduces the amount of stress on the heart.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/attention-training/201210/music-soothe-the-broken-heart

4Music Fights Depression

Every fan of music wants some emotional support and therefore, he or she turns to music in order to regulate raw emotions that stem out of some pain. Listeners describe experiences of releasing emotional distress while listening to relaxing music.

If you feel hopeless and stressed out, music offers you a source of healing. If you just allow yourself to listen to fast music then your mental condition improves instantaneously.

http://www.laweekly.com/music/the-music-that-has-helped-me-battle-depression-5014322

5Music Influences Your Emotional State

Music permits you to seek out new sources of happiness and you find less reason to be sad. Music improves your ability to be happy as well.

http://www.tested.com/science/weird/455665-how-music-affects-perception/

6Music Makes You Creative

Creativity is the process of identifying new possibilities by converging different factors. Music makes you more creative by relaxing your body and brain. In focusing on music, the brain relaxes in certain areas and opens the awareness of various creative possibilities.

http://www.creativeboom.com/tips/want-to-be-more-creative-heres-what-music-to-avoid-at-all-costs/

7Music Enhances Your Memory

Relaxed body and mind act together to make your body function in an improved fashion and the effects on memory have been measurably noted. Utilizing music with certain memory excercises, you may be able to strengthen your memory.

http://www.fitbrains.com/blog/wakeup-brain-tips/

8Music Reduces Physiological Pain

Music enables its listeners to experience happiness and therefore, sense of physical pain registers at much lower degree. Music fights physical pain as well. However, physiological pain reduces marginally due to music therapy and it does not in any case provide substitute to conventional medicine.

http://australianfitnessnetwork.worldsecuresystems.com/resources-library/reduce-mental-and-physical-pain-with-music?A=WebApp&CCID=5272&Page=1&Items=4

 

9Music Helps in Identifying Your Personality        

Psychologists identify your personality on the basis of your musical preferences. Lovers of classical and slow music like to live in solitude and they have introvert personalities. However, followers of fast music register as extroverts most of the times.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/what-your-music-taste-says-about-your-personality-a6749866.html

 

10Music Makes You More Social

Music tends to inspire you to pursue happier life and therefore, you become capable of spreading love. Music lovers tend to have more friends and go out more than people who do not listen to music, according to a recent study.

http://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/proof-listening-music-makes-you-more-active

 

11What other ways do you see the interaction of music and the subconscious? Post your response in the comments section below.

 

Author Biography

Nathan Nixon works as a music in and loves to spread his art. He considers happiness as a contagious condition and always moves to share with others his joyful understanding of the world. He works with Corporate Video Production | VidWonders. Contact him at Facebook, Twitter & Gplus with anything music-related.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing musical instruments involves complex muscle responses. Therefore, it’s only natural that children who practice for hours at a time demonstrate improved fine motor functions. In addition, the idea that instruments have a profound impact on those with special needs has ventured beyond mere theory. Studies on how playing a musical instrument effects the brain are still in their early stages, but research continues to uncover astounding, new data.

Playing A Musical Instrument Rewires the Brain

Brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to restructure itself) has sparked interest over the past few years, and the effects of playing musical instruments has been highly discussed by researchers. Studies have consistently shown correlations between seasoned musicians and changes in brain composition. Comparisons with the brains of non-musicians has drawn speculation about the role instruments play in improving and refining auditory processes. Brain functions used to decode sound and rhythms have a fundamental nature, which means they can be translated into practical tasks, such as memory and speech, according to many scientists. Researchers have also observed that musicians are more keen in detecting variations in language and can sense emotions just by hearing subtle changes in a speaker’s voice.

Playing A Musical Instrument Leads To Academic Improvement

Brain scans have discovered a possible relationship between musicians and the accumulation of myelin, which helps the brain transmit information faster and perform elaborate functions. In fact, the simultaneous employment of nearly every part of the brain might explain why a student who begins playing at an early age is more likely to excel in academics and develop advanced problem solving skills.

Playing A Musical Instrument Leads To Enhanced Muscle Memory

Muscle memory (aka being able to repeat a physical task without conscious effort) among musicians is thought to be well-developed, particularly in students who begin learning by the age of seven. This can be credited to the cerebellum’s involvement in grouping sophisticated sequences necessary for playing rhythms, scales and chords. Performing differs significantly from simply listening to music because it involves manipulation of sound, which neurologist believe contributes to improved memory skills over time.

The decision to begin a new process, especially one as challenging as learning to play an instrument, can be frightening for adults, but the long-term benefits are invaluable. Playing at any age can sharpen the brain and relieve stress. Children and even adults starting later in life can benefit from instructors who will nudge them through difficult periods in the learning process, which is why educators play such an important role in keeping music a vital part of our culture. For those passionate about working with developing musicians, we encourage you to start teaching as much as you can, as soon as you can. Start to share everything you know with anyone who shows interest, and get experience by volunteering at music schools, retirement homes, pre-schools and anywhere else where music is appreciated.

Have you experienced positive results by playing or seeing others play a musical instrument? Post your findings in the comments section below.