What we hate in music reveals our personality

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 22:32 · Archive

Research suggests people reject music genres based on social identity and personality, not just sound.

Dr Amanda Krause, a senior lecturer at James Cook University in Townsville, has conducted research suggesting that what we dislike in music reveals as much about us as what we love. Her study examined the musical dislikes of 1078 people across Australia, China, Singapore and the United States, asking them to rate their preferences for 49 genres. Researchers identified five factors underlying musical aversion, with immediate displeasure and a sense that certain music did not fit a person's identity or social world the strongest predictors of intense dislike.

Dr Krause explains that musical aversion is not simply the absence of enjoyment, but has a distinct psychological structure shaped by emotion, complexity, social identity and personal taste. People may reject a genre not because of how it sounds, but because they do not identify with the kind of person they imagine listens to it. Musical tastes can become a badge of identity, with people using them to signal where they belong, or crucially where they do not. These musical prejudices can influence how we see others, the friendships we form and even our romantic prospects.

How it is being reported

• The music people hate says more than they thinkMusical taste can make or break a first impression. But for one Queensland researcher, what we reject is just as fascinating as the songs we embrace.Perth Now · 17 Oct, 22:03
• The music people hate says more than they thinkMusical taste can make or break a first impression. But for one Queensland researcher, what we reject is just as fascinating as the songs we embrace.The West Australian · 17 Oct, 22:03

In this story: Amanda Krause · James Cook University · Australia · China · Singapore · United States

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