探花直播

探花直播explosion in music consumption over the last century has made 鈥榳hat you listen to鈥� an important personality construct 鈥� as well as the root of many social and cultural tribes 鈥� and, for many people, their self-perception is closely associated with musical preference. We would perhaps be reluctant to admit that our taste in music alters - softens even - as we get older.

Now, a new study suggests that - while our engagement with it may decline - music stays important to us as we get older, but the music we like adapts to the particular 鈥榣ife challenges鈥� we face at different stages of our lives.

It would seem that, unless you die before you get old, your taste in music will probably change to meet social and psychological needs.

One theory put forward by researchers, based on the study, is that we come to music to experiment with identity and define ourselves, and then use it as a social vehicle to establish our group and find a mate, and later as a more solitary expression of our intellect, status and greater emotional understanding.

Researchers say the study is the first to 鈥渃omprehensively document鈥� the ways people engage with music 鈥渇rom adolescence to middle age鈥�. 探花直播study is published in the .

Using data gathered from more than a quarter of a million people over a ten year period, researchers divided musical genres into five broad, 鈥渆mpirically derived鈥� categories they call the MUSIC model - mellow, unpretentious, sophisticated, intense, contemporary - and plotted the patterns of preference across age-groups.

These five categories incorporate multiple genres that share common musical and psychological traits - such as loudness and complexity.听

鈥� 探花直播project started with a common conception that musical taste does not evolve after young adulthood. Most academic research to date supported this claim, but - based on other areas of psychological research and our own experiences - we were not convinced this was the case,鈥� said Arielle Bonneville-Roussy from Cambridge鈥檚 Department of Psychology, who led the study.

探花直播study found that, unsurprisingly, the first great musical age is adolescence - defined by a short, sharp burst of 鈥榠ntense鈥� and the start of a steady climb of 鈥榗ontemporary鈥�. 鈥業ntense鈥� music - such as punk and metal - peaks in adolescence and declines in early adulthood, while 鈥榗ontemporary鈥� music - such as pop and rap - begins a rise that plateaus until early middle age.听

鈥淭eenage years are often dominated by the need to establish identity, and music is a cheap, effective way to do this,鈥� said Dr Jason Rentfrow, senior researcher on the study.

鈥淎dolescents鈥� quest for independence often takes the shape of a juxtaposed stance to the perceived 鈥榮tatus quo鈥�, that of parents and the establishment. 鈥業ntense鈥� music, seen as aggressive, tense and characterised by loud, distorted sounds has the rebellious connotations that allow adolescents to stake a claim for the autonomy that is one of this period鈥檚 key 鈥榣ife challenges鈥�.鈥�

As 鈥榠ntense鈥� gives way to the rising tide of 鈥榗ontemporary鈥� and introduction of 鈥榤ellow鈥� 鈥� such as electronic and R & B 鈥� in early adulthood, the next musical age emerges. These two 鈥減reference dimensions鈥� are considered 鈥渞omantic, emotionally positive and danceable,鈥� write the researchers.听听听

鈥淥nce people overcome the need for autonomy, the next 鈥榣ife challenge鈥� concerns finding love and being loved 鈥� people who appreciate this 鈥榶ou鈥� that has emerged,鈥� said Rentfrow.

鈥淲hat we took away from the results is that these forms of music reinforce the desire for intimacy and complement settings where people come together with the goal of establishing close relationships 鈥� parties, bars, clubs and so on.

鈥淲hereas the first musical age is about asserting independence, the next appears to be more about gaining acceptance from others.鈥�

As we settle down and middle age begins to creep in, the last musical age, as identified by the researchers, is dominated by 鈥榮ophisticated鈥� 鈥� such as jazz and classical 鈥� and 鈥榰npretentious鈥� 鈥� such as country, folk and blues.听听听

Researchers write that both these dimensions are seen as 鈥減ositive and relaxing鈥� - with 鈥榮ophisticated鈥� indicating the complex aesthetic of high culture that could be linked to social status and perceived intellect, while 鈥榰npretentious鈥� echoes sentiments of family, love and loss 鈥� emotionally direct music that speaks to the experiences most will have had by this life stage.

鈥淎s we settle into ourselves and acquire more resources to express ourselves 鈥� career, home, family, car 鈥� music remains an extension of this, and at this stage there are aspects of wanting to promote social status, intellect and wealth that play into the increased gravitation towards 鈥榮ophisticated鈥� music,鈥� said Rentfrow, 鈥渁s social standing is seen as a key 鈥榣ife challenge鈥� to be achieved by this point鈥�.

鈥淎t the same time, for many this life stage is frequently exhausted by work and family, and there is a requirement for relaxing, emotive music for those rare down times that reflects the other major 鈥榣ife challenge鈥� of this stage 鈥� that of nurturing a family and maintaining long-term relationships, perhaps the hardest of all.鈥澨�

Adds Bonneville-Roussy: 鈥淒ue to our very large sample size, gathered from online forms and social media channels, we were able to find very robust age trends in musical taste. I find it fascinating to see how seemingly trivial behaviour such as music listening relates to so many psychological aspects, such as personality and age.鈥�

For more information, please contact fred.lewsey@admin.cam.ac.uk