There are those who can’t help but get excited by hits like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Others, however, prefer to indulge in a smooth La vie en rose by Louis Armstrong. Musical taste seems, a priori, a very intimate dimension that depends solely on the personality of the individual. But research from the University of Nagasaki, in Japan, found in 2017 a biological reason that could explain the musical preferences of each individual.
It is, in fact, the first study to suggest a relationship between biology and musical preferences: Men who prefer musical styles such as rock and heavy metal tend to have higher levels of testosterone than those who prefer genres such as classical and jazz.
Until now, it was well known that many behavioral traits, including personality, are influenced by testosterone , as is the case with steroid hormones. On this basis, the researchers hypothesized that testosterone determines, at least in part, individual differences in musical preference.
76 volunteers (37 men and 39 women) were asked to listen to 25 musical fragments of different genres that had been divided into five categories: ‘mellow’, contemporary, sophisticated, intense and ‘modest’.
They then rated them based on how much they enjoyed them on a scale of 19 levels. Additionally, the researchers took saliva samples from each volunteer to measure their testosterone levels.
While no significant differences were found in the female volunteers, the researchers observed a correlation between testosterone levels and preferences for certain types of music in men.
Those who had higher levels of testosterone were much more likely to reveal a preference for genres such as rock and heavy metal. Those with lower levels showed more interest in classical music and jazz.
Dr. Hirokazu Doi, one of the researchers participating in the study, believes the relationship found to have something to do with the effect of this hormone in the brain, particularly in regions such as the amygdala, which is involved in processing emotions.
What’s more, previous studies have linked musical taste to personality type: men with higher testosterone levels are typically more rebellious and anti-authoritarian than those with lower levels. In turn, genres like heavy metal and rock tend to be less accepted by authority figures (teachers, parents, etc.) and are therefore more attractive to their rebellious nature.
Although the study does not confirm this last hypothesis.
If these results are confirmed, it is very likely that there are other hormones that play an important role in shaping our musical preferences, in addition to other forms of art.
References: Hirokazu Doia, Ilaria Basadonneb, Paola Venutib, Kazuyuki Shinohara. ‘Negative correlation between salivary testosterone concentration and preference for sophisticated music in males’. Doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.11.041
