MUSIC CORRELATING WITH NEO BIG FIVE

Use of Music Correlating with Neo Big Five

Abstract

Recent studies have linked personality traits to how music is used. The aim of this study was to link three of the NEO-PI-R personality dimensions, extroversion, neuroticism, and openness to experience, to three types of music use; emotional, cognitive, and background. Three hundred and seven third year psychology students completed the Neo-PI-R and the use of music test. As predicted, emotional use of music significantly correlated with neuroticism, openness to experience, and extroversion. Openness to experience was also found to be significantly collated with cognitive use of music, however, no relationship was found to exist with the background use of music and extroversion. These findings suggest that the way we experience music is determined, to a certain extent, by individual personality differences.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Introduction4

Aim of Study6

Hypothesis6

Method6

Participants6

Procedure and Measures7

Results7

Conclusion10

Introduction

Music is an integral and consuming part of peoples' lives and is considered to be as important as most other leisure activities. Music is a key component of so many social situations, yet itis an area that has been historically neglected by researchers (Rentfrow& Gosling, 2003). Furthermore, Dobbs, Furnham and McClelland (2011)add that music is more pervasive now than in any other time in history, with a corresponding increase in research into the psychological effects of background sound (music and noise). To date, this research suggests that background sound has the potential to affect productivity, well-being and learning (Dobbs et al., 2011). Rentfrow and Gosling (2003) argue that as music is a facet of everyday life, it deserves more scientific attention and suggest that although the association between personality traits and music is complex, it undoubtedly has a significant influence on people socially and psychologically.

Rentfrow and Gosling (2003) linked a number of relationships between music preference (styles of music) and personality. For example openness to experiences related to reflective and complex music, and extroversion correlated with upbeat, rhythmic and energetic music. Interestingly, there was no significant association between music preference and emotional stability; however, Rentfrow and Gosling (2003) argued that the lack of correlation between music preference and emotions may indicate that personality is influenced by listening to music generally, rather than a particular genre of music preference (style). These findings are supported by Rawlings and Ciancarelli (1997) whose research showed that extroversion and openness to experience were important personality dimensions in explaining music preference, however, they determined that the other three dimensions (i.e. neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness) were unrelated to music preference.

More recently, Chamorro-Premuzic and Furnham (2007) chose a distinctly different line of research by studying the relationship between personality traits and how individuals use music. They defined the use of music as the function and purposes of listening to music. This current research is designed to extend on recent research by Chamorro-Premuzicand Furnham (2007) with the purpose of this research establish a number of relationships between specific personality traits(extroversion, neuroticism and openness to experience)and the use of music.

Furnham and Strbac (2002) suggest that extroverts show a preference ...