People can accurately guess what music you like just by looking at your face and body, according to new research.
The study found that subtle cues in a person’s appearance allow others to infer their preferences for certain music genres.
These judgments happen quickly and have consequences for social interactions.
Key facts:
- People could accurately judge targets’ music genre preferences from photos of their full bodies, heads, faces, eyes and mouths.
- Preferences for energetic, rhythmic music were best judged from full bodies and isolated bodies. Preferences for intense, rebellious music were best judged from isolated bodies, heads, faces, eyes and mouths. Preferences for reflective, complex music were best judged from full bodies, heads, faces and mouths.
- Judgment accuracy relied on perceptions of targets’ traits like dominance, energy, neatness and style. Stereotypes about fans of each music genre contained kernels of truth but were not fully accurate.
- People desired to meet targets who appeared to share their music taste, especially for energetic, rhythmic genres. Preferences also affected desire to meet based on traits signaled, like submissiveness.
Source: Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2022
Your Face Reveals the Music You Like
Your personality can’t hide behind your favorite playlist.
New research shows people can make quick yet accurate judgments about your music preferences just by looking at your face or body.
Subtle cues in appearance reveal whether someone likes pop, hip hop, rock or classical music.
These judgments happen automatically when we first meet.
And they have consequences – people want to interact more with those who seem to share their tastes.
Your appearance broadcasts your identity through music.
Music Preferences & Physical Appearance (Study)
To investigate whether appearance reveals music preferences, researchers photographed 289 participants in neutral poses.
Later, separate groups of raters guessed the targets’ preferences for 14 music genres based on photos showing their full bodies, faces, eyes, etc.
Ratings were compared to targets’ actual preferences.
Remarkably, preferences for certain genres could be read from particular features.
Liking energetic, rhythmic genres like dance and hip hop was evident in bodies and faces.
A preference for intense, rebellious genres like rock and metal showed in bodies, heads, eyes and mouths.
Reflective, complex tastes for jazz and classical appeared in bodies, faces and mouths.
Accurate Stereotypes, With Exceptions
Accurate judgments relied on perceiving targets’ traits, which stereotypically match music fans.
For example, fans of energetic music seemed messy, while classical fans seemed neat and submissive.
These personality cues allow accurate detection.
However, some stereotypes were off base.
Contrary to the image of rebellious metal-heads, no traits accurately signaled a liking for intense genres.
Instead, stereotypes wrongly associated it with being dominant, messy and young.
So detection accuracy suffered.
Musical Taste Influences Desire to Meet
Do these rapid judgments matter?
In a follow-up study, participants viewed photos and rated their desire to meet each target.
People wanted to interact more with those who appeared to share their music taste.
This homophily effect was strongest for energetic, rhythmic genres, suggesting highly identifying fans.
In addition, targets who looked neat and conventional were desirable partners across tastes.
This shows personality inferences from appearance guide our social intentions.
You Are What You Listen To: Music Acts as Social Glue
Music is deeply intertwined with identity.
Across cultures, people bond over shared tastes which signal values and personality.
Finding common musical ground draws us closer.
Unlike other social cues, music binds large groups together.
Detecting compatriots based on appearance allows for instant connections.
We gravitate to those who “play our song.”
But when musical differences are perceived, people drift apart.
These judgments happen unintentionally yet still divide us.
Recognizing how inferences from appearance perpetuate bias may lead to deeper connections transcending stereotypes.
Your identity should not be confined to assumptions.
Look closer and listen deeper to appreciate the diverse melodies within each person.
References
- Study: Appearance reveals music preferences
- Authors: Laura Tian et al. (2022)
