The content and validity of music-genre stereotypes among college students

Abstract

The present research examined the content and validity of stereotypes about fans of 14 different music genres (e.g. country, rap, rock). In particular, we focused on stereotypes concerning fans' personalities (e.g. extraversion, emotional stability), personal qualities (e.g. political beliefs, athleticism), values (e.g. for peace, for wisdom), and alcohol and drug preferences (e.g. wine, hallucinogens). Previous research has shown that music is linked to a variety of psychological characteristics, that music is used to convey information about oneself to observers, and that observers can infer personality on the basis of music preferences. Guided by such research, we predicted and found that..