The content and validity of music-genre stereotypes among college students

The present research examined the content and validity of stereotypes about fans of 14 different music genres (e.g. country, rap, rock). In particular, we focused on stereotypes concerning fans’ personalities (e.g. extraversion, emotional stability), personal qualities (e.g. political beliefs, athleticism), values (e.g. for peace, for wisdom), and alcohol and drug preferences (e.g. wine, hallucinogens). Previous research has shown that music is linked to a variety of psychological characteristics, that music is used to convey information about oneself to observers, and that observers can infer personality on the basis of music preferences. Guided by such research, we predicted and found that individuals have robust and clearly defined stereotypes about the fans of various music genres (Study 1), and that many of these music-genre stereotypes possess a kernel of truth (Study 2). Discussion focuses on the potential role of music-genre stereotypes in self-expression and impression formation.