Four studies examined the relationship between Eysenck's Toughmindedness or Psychoticism (P) dimension and various aspects of music preference. Using recorded musical excerpts, study 1 found that P is related to liking for hard rock music and dislike of easy listening music. Study 2 employed the Litle and Zuckerman Music Preference Survey in which subjects list their preferences for music categories; toughminded subjects reported preference for hard rock music, and dislike of "soft" popular music. Study 3 correlated P with preference for five types of recorded triad. Low P subjects showed a stronger preference for consonant triads (major, minor) over dissonant triads (augmented, diminished, atonal) than high P subjects. Study 4 showed that chord preferences are related to music preferences, and substantially supported studies 1 and 3. It is concluded that, relative to tenderminded individuals, toughminded subjects show preference for "hard" music and "harsh" chords.
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