Why do we judge others based on their music taste?

A person’s musical choice can reveal more about them in a positive manner. “Knowing about a person’s music, if you’re doing it with an open mind, lets you know that person better,” shared Wright. “If you understand their musical tastes or what certain musical genres mean to them, you don’t have to judge them.

Is taste in music genetic?

Scientists previously thought that musical preference is rooted in the brain, but a new study of a remote Amazonian society suggests that musical tastes are cultural in origin. “If it were ‘hardwired,’ one would not expect such dramatic cultural variation; everyone would be expected to have a robust preference.”

How do our musical tastes shape our identities?

Gasser says, as we grow, our musical tastes really help us to forge our individual identities — especially distinct from our parents. “Music becomes that stake in the ground — ‘this is who I am,’” says Gasser. “But at the same time, the music people listened to at an early age becomes their native home comfort music.

How does your ‘thinking style’ affect your music taste?

A 2015 study at Cambridge University found that our music taste is linked to our ‘thinking style’ – in essence, whether we’re more emotionally- or analytically-minded. You can tune into CrowdScience every Friday evening on BBC World Service, or catch up online at bbcworldservice.com/crowdscience.

Why do we have different tastes in comedy and music?

The more complex the comedy, the more it relies on the audience knowing the cultural context. Similarly, our music preferences are shaped by the people and groups we identify with – our culture, in other words. But it’s also to do with our individual makeup.

What does Gasser think about taste in music?

“It really got me thinking (maybe not in a conscious way at that point) about how varied people’s tastes are, and how people of the same age group could gravitate to different styles of music.” As composers tend to do, Gasser would dissect various songs to better understand what might appeal to an audience.