One common way that people have historically bonded is through music. Whether it’s through dancing to a catchy beat at a dance or finding someone who listens to the same niche artist that you do, most people have found a connection with others through music in some way.
Have you ever wondered if what you listen to is related to your personality? A group of researchers explored this correlation, looking at what kind of music people usually gravitate towards with respect to which of the Big Five personality traits they resonate with the most: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Zweigenhaft, 2008). Here I’ve compiled a few playlists with descriptions relating to each trait in case you wanted to see how your playlist lines up or if you were looking for some recommendations.
Playlist 1: For Those Whose Social Battery Hasn’t Died
This playlist is for those who relate to the extraversion personality trait. These people are often described as energetic, enthusiastic, and talkative, and can be assertive when they need to (McCrae & John, 1992). To match these people’s energy, they often listen to energetic and upbeat songs (Zweigenhaft, 2008), many of which are songs that many people know and can belt the lyrics to.
Playlist 2: Forget About Your Worries
This playlist is for those who relate to the neuroticism personality trait. People who score high in this trait tend to be emotionally vulnerable or unstable (McCrae & John, 1992). Similar to the extraversion crowd, people who relate to neuroticism often listen to upbeat music (Zweigenhaft, 2008), so I’ve compiled a playlist filled with positive or relatable messages for when someone might be feeling anxious or worried about life.
Playlist 3: Looking at the Little Things in Life
This playlist is for those who relate to the agreeableness personality trait, who often value being kind, tender-minded, and trusting (McCrae & John, 1992). People with this trait often listen to reflective and complex music (Zweigenhaft, 2008). Therefore, the songs I chose for this playlist talk about different aspects of life.
Playlist 4: A Little Bit of Everything
This playlist is for those who relate to the openness personality trait. These people are the most curious and most likely to have widely varying interests (McCrae & John, 1992). Their music taste reflects this, as they often listen to a variety of music (Zweigenhaft, 2008), which is why this playlist has a variety of genres.
Playlist 5: Time to Lock In
This playlist is for those who relate to the conscientiousness personality trait. People who are conscientious are organized, reliable, and value responsibility (McCrae & John, 1992). They also listen to upbeat music (Zweigenhaft, 2008), so I created an upbeat, motivational playlist to complement this personality trait.
Of course, these playlists are not meant to be exclusive or comprehensive – you don’t have to listen to only one of them, and they are not meant to encompass every type of song someone of a certain personality type would listen to. This is just meant to be a fun way to explore the relationship between people’s music preferences and their personalities.
Happy listening!
References
McCrae, R. R., & John, O. P. (1992). An Introduction to the Five-Factor Model and Its Applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175–215. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1992.tb00970.x
Piacquadio, A. (2016). Friends Having Fun With Guitar [Graphic]. In pexels.com. https://www.pexels.com/photo/divers-friends-having-fun-with-guitar-3776873/
Zweigenhaft, R. L. (2008). A Do Re Mi encore. Journal of Individual Differences, 29(1), 45–55. https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001.29.1.45
