‘Tis the Season: Music-Playlist Preferences for the Seasons.

Abstract

Previous research on contextual correlates of musical taste has considered micro level influences extensively, but has yet to consider macro-level factors, such as time of year. The literature concerning seasonal correlates of mood and behavior suggests that colder weather is associated with low activity and a reflective cognitive style while warmer weather is associated with higher activity levels. Analyses of the season-based playlist music preferences of 402 participants as measured by their ratings of 24 adjectival descriptors of music indicated three dimensions: arousing, serene, and melancholy. Findings demonstrate listener preferences for arousing music for the warmer months,..