What Kind of Music Do You Like? What it Says About You

What kind of music do you like? Do you enjoy chilling out to smooth jazz, relaxing with a little Mozart, rocking out to the Stones, dancing to Katy Perry or getting real with Li’l Wayne? We all know music can totally affect our mood, whether it’s getting hyped to run a marathon (the Rocky theme perhaps?), unwinding after a busy day (some soothing Vivaldi) or taking the sting out of a broken heart (Alanis Morrisette).

Researchers have been studying music and personality for a while and a recent Cambridge University study explored how asking the question, What kind of music do you like?, could be an excellent way to find out how you think. Senior author Dr. Jason Renfrow sums it up, «This line of research highlights how music is a mirror of the self. Music is an expression of who we are emotionally, socially, and cognitively.»

Social class relationship with music

Another study from the University of British Columbia found that musical taste may also reflect social class. According to the authors, «Poorer, less-educated people tended to like country, disco, easy listening, golden oldies, heavy metal and rap. Meanwhile, their wealthier and better-educated counterparts preferred genres such as classical, blues, jazz, opera, choral, pop, reggae, rock, world and musical theatre.» Of course, what you hear growing up has a lot to do with your listening choices so it’s worth considering that this may have a lot more to do with nurture than nature.

But back to the Cambridge University study. The researchers divided people into three categories: Systemizers, Empathizers and equally balanced between the two. Systemizers tend to interact with others in a more logic-based way, while empathizers are more emotionally tuned in to those around them. And equally balanced speaks for itself.

Characteristics

They found that empathizers go for low energy, evocative tunes like Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, Come Away with Me by Norah Jones, All of Me by Billie Holliday and Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen. Systemizers preferred Concerto in C by Antonio Vivaldi, Etude Opus 65 No 3 by Alexander Scriabin, God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols and Enter the Sandman by Metallica. The difference in taste had more to do with the type of song than the genre. So next time you’re trying to size up a first date or gain insight into a potential client or employer; start by asking ‘What kind of music do you like?’ You can test the theory by taking this quiz to see if you are an Empathizer or Systemizer.