Fine Tuning the Understanding of Self: Exploring the Role of Musical Instruments on Personality

Abstract

Music has been found to be connected to the very essence of being human. Historically, it has been linked with human behaviour, well-being and experiences in various ways across cultures. Previous research exploring these domains have focused specifically on the preference of music determined by one’s listening behaviour. But, in this study, the experience of playing a particular instrument which produces music has been given the utmost importance. The various domains of personality were studied from the perspective of a musician, their years of training/experience, and the type of musical instrument that they play. The research (N= 74) also dealt with the roles of age and gender of the participants in the choice of the musical instruments and further its relation to the factors of personality. The findings suggested that the personality domains agreeableness and openness varied significantly in case of the type of instrument the participants play. Results also indicated that age and gender has an important role to play along with the type of instrument and years of experience that a musician has. Interaction effects were found between the variables in terms of openness to experience and agreeableness which has been discussed.