Research finds that our musical tastes are linked to our empathy levels and thinking styles.
People who are more empathetic tend to like mellow music genres while more systematic thinkers prefer intense, complex music.
Key Facts:
- People higher in empathy prefer mellow music genres like soft rock, R&B, and adult contemporary. They dislike intense genres like punk, metal, and hard rock.
- In contrast, people who are more systematic thinkers prefer intense music and complex genres like punk, metal, and classical.
- Empathic people like music with low arousal, negative valence, and emotional depth. Systemizers like high arousal, positive valence, and cerebral depth.
- Empathic people prefer gentle, warm, and relaxing music with strings. Systemizers like distorted, loud, fast music with brass, electric guitar.
- Men tend to be more systematic thinkers while women are often more empathetic. But musical preferences hold true regardless of gender.
- Personality plays a role too but empathy is an even stronger predictor, especially for mellow and intense music.
Source: PLOS One
The Songs That Resonate With Our Souls
Music is a universal human experience. But why do we like the songs we do?
New research reveals our musical tastes are intrinsically linked to our psychology and thinking styles.
Specifically, our levels of empathy and systematic thinking help shape our music preferences.
People who are naturally more empathetic tend to like certain mellow genres.
In contrast, those who think in a more systematic style prefer intense, complex music.
This suggests our brains are wired to enjoy music that resonates with our innate cognitive tendencies.
Empathy Makes Us Like Mellow Music
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.
Researchers gave participants various empathy and music preference tests.
Across multiple studies, they found people with higher empathy levels consistently preferred mellow, emotional music genres.
This included soft rock, adult contemporary, R&B, soul, and acoustic.
These genres feature gentle, relaxing, sensual, and thoughtful elements.
Meanwhile, empathic people disliked intense, aggressive music like punk, metal, and hard rock.
The correlation held true even when looking within a single genre like rock or jazz music.
And it was significant regardless of gender or personality differences.
Clearly, empathy itself is a key factor shaping musical likes and dislikes.
According to researchers, this makes sense. Empathy involves perceiving the emotions of others.
So empaths likely seek out music with emotional depth that resonates with this tendency.
Mellow genres tend to have more heartfelt, sad, thoughtful qualities.
This provides an emotional experience empaths can relate to.
Systemizing Brains Like Intense, Complex Music
Researchers also looked at systemizing thinking.
This refers to analyzing and constructing systems, whether abstract, organizational, or technical.
Participants took tests measuring both empathy and systemizing.
They found that systemizing thinkers gravitated toward intense, complex musical styles.
Specifically, people with stronger systematic thinking preferred genres like punk, metal, hard rock, and classical.
These types of music have complicated structures, dissonance, and energizing intensity.
Such features appeal to the analytical nature of systemizing brains.
They enjoy unpacking complex musical patterns and systems.
In contrast, systematic thinkers disliked mellow genres like R&B, soft rock, and adult contemporary.
So musical preferences again aligned with innate cognitive tendencies.
Digging Into the Details of Music Attributes
To further understand this link, researchers looked at preferences for specific musical attributes.
First they examined psychological attributes that create different feelings and impressions when listening.
Empathic people preferred music with:
- Low arousal – Gentle, warm, sensual, reflective
- Negative valence – Sad, depressing
- Emotional depth – Relaxing, thoughtful, poetic
Systemizing thinkers liked music with:
- High arousal – Strong, tense, thrilling
- Positive valence – Animated, fun
- Cerebral depth – Complex, inspiring
Next they looked at sonic attributes – the acoustic and instrumental qualities of music.
Again clear preference differences emerged.
Empathic people liked:
- Strings
- Slow tempo
Systemizers preferred:
- Dense, distorted, loud
- Percussive, fast
- Brass, electric guitar
So when it comes to both psychological and acoustic elements, our brains intuitively know what music “speaks our language.”
The Role of Sex/Gender & Personality
Of course, psychology is complex. Factors like sex and personality also shape musical likes.
For instance, men tend to be more systematic thinkers while women often show greater empathy.
But even controlling for gender, these cognitive tendencies still predict musical preferences.
Personality plays a role too. Openness and extroversion link to certain music tastes.
However, empathy seems to be an even stronger predictor than personality when it comes to mellow versus intense music.
So while many factors influence our musical tastes, empathizing and systemizing thinking have a distinct and consistent impact.
Finding The Music That Moves Us
We each have music that deeply moves us and music that makes us want to move away.
This research suggests our brains are wired to connect with music that complements our innate cognitive style.
Empathic people have a natural affinity for emotional, relaxing, gentle genres.
The sensual melodies and thoughtful lyrics allow them to perceive and share poignant feelings.
In contrast, systematic thinkers prefer the complexity and intensity found in punk, metal, and classical compositions.
Their analytical brains enjoy decoding complicated musical structures.
Of course, musical taste is multi-faceted.
Environment, culture, memories, and mood all shape what songs we love.
But this innate cognitive component offers fascinating insight into the psychology behind musical preferences.
Understanding these connections allows us to better grasp our own musical proclivities.
We can also empathize with why certain songs resonate with some people but not others.
Perhaps most intriguingly, this knowledge can help us find new music that truly moves us.
Seeking out songs tailored to our cognitive style may unlock music’s full emotional power.
So as you queue up playlists and turn radio dials, remember your brain holds clues to the melodies that pluck your heartstrings.
References
- Study: Musical preferences are linked to cognitive styles
- Authors: David M. Greenberg et al. (2015)
