Think the music you love is part of your identity? You might be right. According to a study at the University of Texas which gave people questionnaires about their musical taste and a battery of personality and intelligence tests, what you listen to reveals a surprising amount about you. So which of these four ‘super genres’ best describes your musical taste?
a) Blues, classical, folk, jazz
b) Alternative, heavy metal, rock
c) Country, pop, religious, soundtracks
d) Electronic, hip-hop, rap, soul
Ready?
a) If you listen to this kind of music, which the researchers dubbed “reflective and complex”, you probably see yourself as unathletic, liberal and intelligent (and do, in fact, do pretty well on exams and IQ tests). You are also probably very open to trying new experiences.
b) You’re one of the “intense and rebellious” listening types: you share most of your characteristics with the jazz/classical brigade, but you’re more likely to see yourself as athletic and slightly less likely to seek to dominate others.
c) “Upbeat and conventional”, you’re likely to be agreeable, extraverted and conscientious. You also see yourself as attractive, wealthy and athletic, as well as politically conservative. Good news: this group is the least prone to depression. Bad news: it scores lowest on IQ tests.
d) You’re an “energetic and rhythmic” listener – extraverted, agreeable, attractive and athletic, but you probably don’t share the political conservatism, wealth or lower IQ of your upbeat-and-conventional chums. This group also scores highest for “blirtatiousness” – the tendency to blurt out your thoughts and feelings as soon as they arise.
Take a full version of the test (with musical extracts) here
Psy-Q by Ben Ambridge is published by Profile Books at £12.99. To order a copy for £10.39, go to bookshop.theguardian.com
