Music and Personality

Paper Summary:

This paper explores the social psychology of music. Through analysis of various studies, it investigate how our interaction with music through its creation, performance, listening, and review affects our behavior and personalities. The paper evaluates the social functions of music in the lives of individuals. Research suggests that these are evident in three main ways for the individual: the management of interpersonal relationships, mood, and self-identity.

From the Paper:

"The researchers inferred that the strained family relationships displayed by these adolescents may be the cause of greater suicide risk rather than their musical preference. The positive effects of listening to their preferred music type were less obvious in heavy metal fans indicating personal characteristics and/or life situations that encouraged suicidal thoughts. The study supported previous research that claims preference for heavy metal music should be taken as a valuable signal to examine an adolescent's social and emotional functioning indicating that heavy metal music attracts, rather than produces, troubled teens. (Scheel, 1999)"

More papers on Music and Personality:

• Analytical Essay # 144005 : "Music and the Unconscious Mind"
• Essay # 42164 : "Music and the Workplace"
• Term Paper # 93517 : "Christian Music and Mood"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: