Scientists have told how musical tastes and characters of people are connected

Researchers at the University of Cambridge discoveredthat the choice of songs in the playlist depends much more on personal traits than on country or culture. They also found that music helps to achieve the desired state or mood.

The study involved 350 people from 50 countries. They filled out a questionnaire that asked them to tell about themselves, indicate the genres and subgenres of music that they like the most. After that, the respondents listened to short excerpts of songs and chose those that they particularly liked.

Scientists have found that Ed Sheeran's Shivers are the choice of extroverts. And people who tend to worry about anything are more likely to listen to Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit.

If a person has Marvin Gaye's What's Going On or Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's Shallow on their playlist, they are more likely to be sweet, outgoing, and helpful. People who are open and not prone to stereotypical thinking will be happy with David Bowie's Space Oddity or Nina Simone's compositions. And the tracks of Rage Against the Machine are not the choice of the most conscientious and punctual people.

Why is this happening? According to scientists, extroverts constantly need positive emotions, and cheerful dance music helps them get into a state of excitement. Love for order and conscientiousness is not compatible with rebellious rock compositions, and an unusual view of the world gives rise to a craving for original music.

Particularly interesting are the preferences of people prone to neurosis. Some of them choose aggressive metal tracks to let off steam. Others prefer soothing positive compositions.

The lead author of the study noted: