Buzz
The music you love might say more about you than you think. A recent study published in PLOS ONE reveals that your favorite genres can indicate your cognitive style. People with higher empathy tend to gravitate toward soulful, slower tunes like soft rock, while those with analytical minds often prefer energetic genres such as hard rock and punk, according to researchers from Cambridge and Stanford universities.
Using the myPersonality Facebook app, developed by co-author David Stillwell, over 4,000 participants completed a survey measuring their empathy levels. They then listened to various song samples and rated their preferences. The findings showed that those with higher empathy scores were more drawn to mellow genres like soft rock and smooth jazz, as opposed to high-energy tracks.
In a follow-up study, 343 participants from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk took the same survey and evaluated their preferences for different musical qualities. The results aligned with the initial findings: empathetic individuals favored slower, emotionally rich music, while those with a systemizing mindset—focused on analyzing and building systems—preferred more complex and lively compositions.
Inquiring about someone's favorite band now seems to carry far more weight than before.
