Musical Preferences and Personality Traits

Music resonates differently in every single person according to human culture and characteristics. Individual differences such as personality traits may play a key role in modulating the emotional response to music and yet relatively little is known about the underlying structure of Italian musical preferences. On these bases, the current research presents a replication of the structure of the MUSIC Model and examines its relationships with personality traits. A sample of 2,104 participants completed an online survey. The current study is divided into three parts: 1) an exploratory factor analysis study, 2) a confirmatory factor analysis study to verify the emerged structure, and 3) a structural equation modeling for the investigation of the relationships between music and personality. Findings confirmed a latent five-factor structure that was labeled as follows: 1) Mellow: classical, gospel, opera, and religious; 2) Unpretentious: alternative, bluegrass, and new age; 3) Sophisticated: jazz, blues, soul R&B; 4) Intense: heavy metal, punk, and rock; and 5) Contemporary: dance electronica, world (international), pop, reggae, and rap hip-hop. Overall, findings suggested musical preferences are subject to some personality traits. These results could be considered a promising starting point to generate new theories to use music in therapeutic contexts for enhancing well-being.