Practice helps, but personality matters too: a large new study links the trait of Openness to musical ability, even among people who have never played an instrument.
A team of psychologists from the University of Cambridge and Goldsmiths, University of London analyzed data from more than 7,000 volunteers—the largest investigation to date of personality and musical expertise—and found that personality traits, especially Openness, predict musical sophistication and performance on objective musical tasks.
The study, published in the Journal of Research in Personality, assessed participants’ musical skills using behavioral tests of melodic memory and rhythm perception, and related those results to scores on the Big Five personality dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. The research showed that, after accounting for musical experience and demographic factors, personality remained a strong predictor of musical ability. Within personality, facets of Openness—such as openness to aesthetics and new experiences—were the most consistent predictors of higher musical sophistication.
Openness describes individuals who are imaginative, curious, and receptive to new ideas and experiences. People who score highly on Openness tend to explore diverse interests and embrace novel situations. In contrast, those who score low on Openness are more comfortable with routine, prefer familiar environments, and typically hold more conventional values. The researchers illustrate this difference with a simple example: a person high in Openness might choose a different travel destination each year, whereas a person low in Openness might repeatedly return to the same place.
Beyond Openness, the study also linked Extraversion with higher self-reported singing ability. While Extraversion did not predict all aspects of musical performance, it was associated with participants’ confidence and reported competence in singing.
One of the study’s most striking findings is that the relationship between personality and musical performance held true even for people who reported that they did not play any instrument. In other words, some individuals possess musical potential despite having little or no formal musical training or experience—an insight that has implications for education and talent identification.
These findings build on earlier work by members of the same research team. For example, a prior study reported links between musical preferences and cognitive styles, suggesting that the ways people think and process information relate to the music they enjoy. Taken together, the research indicates that musical experience and ability are shaped by a mix of practice, personality, and cognitive predispositions.
For educators, the results point to a practical application: understanding a student’s personality profile may help teachers identify who is likely to flourish in different musical activities. As David Greenberg, the study’s lead doctoral researcher, notes, these results could inform approaches to music instruction by highlighting students who may benefit from particular types of musical engagement.
Team members emphasize that personality is not the only influence on musical development. Professor Michael Lamb and others on the team stress the need to investigate additional factors—such as parenting styles and environmental support—that might encourage or hinder musical growth. Future research will need to explore how personality interacts with upbringing, opportunity, and neural characteristics to shape musical talent.
Dr. Jason Rentfrow, the study’s senior author, commented that psychologists are discovering a broader role for personality in everyday musical experience: not only does personality influence which music we prefer, it also relates to how well we perform musical tasks. Daniel Müllensiefen, who developed the music-performance tests used in the project, highlighted the novel idea that many non-musicians may nonetheless have latent musicality—potential that remains untapped when people never receive musical training.
Funding: David Greenberg was supported by the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust during this research period.
Additional information: Related work by the team examined links between musical preferences and cognitive styles. The earlier study, listed under the title “Musical Preferences are Linked to Cognitive Styles,” was published in PLOS ONE in July 2015.
Source: University of Cambridge
Image credit: NeuroscienceNews.com
Original research: Abstract for “Personality predicts musical sophistication” by David M. Greenberg, Daniel Müllensiefen, Michael E. Lamb, and Peter J. Rentfrow in Journal of Research in Personality. Published online October 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2015.06.002
Abstract
Personality predicts musical sophistication
There is limited research on how personality contributes to musical expertise. This study addresses that gap using data from a large national sample (N = 7,870) to examine how ten facets of the Big Five personality dimensions predict self-reported musical sophistication and performance on two behavioral tests—melodic memory and rhythm perception. Personality predicted musical sophistication even after controlling for demographics and musicianship, with Openness to Aesthetics emerging as the strongest trait predictor. Substance use also showed associations with musical sophistication across certain subscales and behavioral measures. These patterns replicated within both musician and non-musician subgroups.
“Personality predicts musical sophistication” by David M. Greenberg, Daniel Müllensiefen, Michael E. Lamb, and Peter J. Rentfrow. Journal of Research in Personality. Published online October 2015. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2015.06.002