Personality and Music : An EEG study on the relation between neuroticism, extroversion and music preferences

Abstract: This study aims to examine psychophysiological signatures of music preference in relation to personality, using electroencephalograms (EEG). To this end, EEG readings of ten participants were performed and analysed. As stimulus material, six music pieces were used based on previous categorisation that defined three distinct dimensions of psychological attributes in music: arousal, valence and depth. For each dimension, a song was chosen to represent the positive and negative end of the dimension respectively. The two personality factors of extraversion and neuroticism were assessed in participants before EEG measurements. Both correlations and comparisons of means were calculated. To enable the comparison of means, participants were divided into different subgroups regarding the characteristic of either high or low scores in each personality factor. Participants high in extroversion as well as those low in neuroticism showed lower arousal, signs of higher engagement by means of alpha-wave suppression, and rated songs higher than other participants. Positive and negative ends of the music dimensions did not show differences in EEG measurements. Frontal asymmetry did not differ regarding participants ratings for all the six music pieces. Results based on differences in EEG signatures between high and low scores within the personality factors extroversion and neuroticism, indicate that there is a connection between personality and music preference. Further research is needed to better understand the interaction between psychophysiological signatures and music preference.