Music Preferences and Personality in Brazilians

Abstract

This article analyzes the relationship between musical preference and type of personality in a large group of Brazilian young and adult participants (N = 1050). The study included 25 of 27 states of Brazil and individuals aged between 16 and 71 years (M = 30.87; SD = 10.50). Of these, 500 were male (47.6%) and 550 were female (52.4%). A correlational study was carried out applying two online questionnaires with quality parameters (content-construct validity and reliability), one on musical preference and the other on personality. The results indicate four main findings: (1) the musical listening of the participants is limited to a reduced number of styles, mainly Pop music and others, typical of Brazilian culture; (2) the Brazilian context supposes a determining aspect in the low preference of non-Brazilian music; (3) there is a positive correlation between most personality types analyzed and the Latin, Brazilian, Classical and Ethnic musical styles. A negative correlation between these types of personality and the consumption of Rock music was also observed; (4) musical preferences are driven not only by personality but in some cases they are also driven by socio-demographic variables (i.e., age and gender). Likewise, this work shows how participants make use of music in personality aspects that may be of interest for the analysis of socio-affective behavior (personality) as well as according to different socio-demographic variables (e.g., age and gender). More cross-cultural research on musical preference and personality would need to be carried out from a global perspective, framed in the context of social psychology and studies of mass communication.

Musical preferences of Brazilian high school students

“…The fourth dimension, Contemporary, comprised rhythmic and percussive styles connected to issues of social justice and opportunities for lower SES populations, which converged with the findings of several authors [6,15,16,32]. Lastly, the fifth dimension, Mellow, comprised relaxing musical styles with smooth rhythms and sentimental vocals, consistent with the dimensions Upbeat and Conventional found by prior studies [7,10,48], as well as with dimension Upbeat found by Herrera et al [17]. Despite the variability in dimension composition, we argue that the results of this study confirm the five-factor structure of musical preferences proposed by Rentfrow et al [11].…”

“…Additionally, it is worth noticing that most of the music styles comprising this dimension are originally from Brazil and connected to dance. These are similar to Música de Massa dimension by Gouveia et al [8], and Brazilian Mainstream Music dimension by Herrera et al [17]. The third dimension, Sophisticated, consisted of music styles perceived as complex, intelligent, and inspiring, which related to findings from other studies [9,16,47].…”

“…Step different countries, which show that men usually prefer sophisticated musical styles with intense rhythms and linked to behaviors that strengthen ties within peer groups and challenge imposed social rules [8,17,18,22], whereas women usually prefer music that emphasizes positive emotions as well as dancing activities [6,9,10,16].…”

“…He considers the period between 18 and 20 years as a limited period of time for the acquisition of new musical preferences, in which preferences are transformed into musical taste. These tastes establish a long-lasting preference [17]. Delsing et al [24] contend that the increase in the stability of preferences may be associated with personal maturity and the formation of individual identity.…”

Academic Achievement, Self-Concept, Personality and Emotional Intelligence in Primary Education. Analysis by Gender and Cultural Group

“…Within the models of personality, the Five Factor Model (McCrae and Costa, 1997) has been the most developed (Herrera et al, 2018), and it represents the dominant conceptualization of the structure of personality in current literature. It postulates that the five great factors of personality (emotional instability, extraversion, intellect/imagination, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) are found at the highest level in the hierarchy of personality.…”