Based on their meta-analysis, Schäfer and Mehlhorn argue that the weak relationships identified indicate that personality is a poor predictor of musical taste. The present research challenged this by measuring personality aspects rather than the Big Five domains and also political orientation. A sample of 157 university students aged 17 to 55 years ( M = 24.60, SD = 7.63) completed measures of musical taste (Short Test of Musical Preference [STOMP-R]), personality (Big Five Aspects Scale [BFAS]), and political orientation (International Personality Item Pool [IPIP] Liberalism). Responses to the STOMP-R produced four factors, labeled Intense, Rhythmic, Established, and Mainstream music. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that, in comparison to domains ( R 2 range = .12–.23, p < .05), aspects of personality were better predictors of musical taste for three of four musical dimensions ( R 2 range = .20–.28, p < .05). Both the aspect and domain models included political orientation. Conflicting correlational relationships within domains were responsible for weaker relationships at the domain level. Aspects of intellect, openness, assertiveness, compassion, politeness, and also political orientation were unique predictors of musical taste across the four dimensions. Personality aspects and political orientation were superior predictors of musical taste in comparison to personality domains. Future research should investigate these aspect-level relationships in more diverse samples.
Personality aspects and political orientation were superior predictors of musical taste in comparison to personality domains.
unequal-complexity in-sample models cannot establish predictive superiority, and the Mainstream comparison contains an unresolved statistical contradiction
conflicting correlational relationships between aspects appear to be responsible for some of the weaker relationships observed throughout the literature
cross-sectional coefficient patterns suggest cancellation without directly testing the proposed explanation
Aspects of intellect, openness, assertiveness, compassion, politeness, and also political orientation were unique predictors of musical taste across the four dimensions.
single-sample exploratory regressions involve many uncorrected tests and uncertain music-factor measurement
Political orientation emerged as a unique, relevant predictor of taste for one musical dimension after controlling for personality
a single-sample observational coefficient with a small incremental contribution among multiple tests
Derived from the full evaluation — not a separate score.
Strengths
The introduction connects the aspect-level question to the personality–music meta-analysis and distinguishes it from prior domain- and facet-level work.
↳ Introduction, meta-analysis and BFAS discussion
Table 3 presents coefficients, confidence intervals, and semi-partial effects, while the Methods reports an a priori power analysis.
↳ Method, Participants; Table 3
The discussion explicitly notes differences between musical dimensions across studies and calls for larger, culturally diverse samples.
↳ Discussion, cross-study comparisons and limitations
Limitations
The Results reports F(9,147)=4.81 with p=.05 and calls the domain model nonsignificant. The printed statistic implies p<.001, leaving a central model comparison unresolved.
↳ Results, Mainstream music paragraph
Aspect models contain more predictors, but superiority is inferred from raw in-sample R² without complexity adjustment or external validation. The interpretation does not acknowledge this central limitation.
↳ Results, hierarchical regressions; Discussion, opening and conclusion
The adapted music measure produces factors with α=.58–.74 after a forced four-factor extraction. The consequences for estimated associations are not traced through the conclusions.
↳ Method, Short Test of Musical Preference; Results, factor analysis; Table 2
The aspect-level analysis addresses a defined measurement question and produces candidate associations for further research. Its central superiority claim rests on raw in-sample R² from models with different numbers of predictors, so the evidence does not establish better predictive performance. The discussion's omission of that limitation weighs against otherwise substantive engagement with prior literature and generalizability. The Mainstream domain model's F/p contradiction separately leaves part of the headline comparison unresolved, while low music-factor reliabilities and multiple coefficient tests temper the individual findings.
Nabu’s assessment, alongside the field’s view.
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Limited2.9
Confidence mediumThe study adds direct aspect-level personality evidence to musical-taste research and jointly considers political orientation. Its contribution remains incremental because the single-sample comparison does not identify predictive superiority between models of unequal complexity.
Power planning, assumption checks, confidence intervals, and semi-partial effects support assessability, while unequal-complexity in-sample comparisons, measurement uncertainty, and incomplete-case exclusions limit execution. The merit-based score also reflects reporting defects, with the Mainstream F/p contradiction surfaced separately through the Red flag rather than a reliability cap.
Explicit hypotheses and an organized progression make the analysis readable. The central claim of superior prediction materially exceeds what unvalidated in-sample R² comparisons establish.
superior predictors
The paper engages the meta-analysis, prior facet findings, and aspect framework, and acknowledges cultural and sampling limits. The omitted model-complexity caveat directly affects its main interpretation and binds the score at 2.8.
Concerns4 of 4 checks
Ethics approval and informed consent are declared, and the funding statement reports no financial support. The supplied evidence establishes no research-conduct concern.
Ethics approval: declared
29 references in manuscript 26 of 26 checkable references found in an index 3 have no canonical index record — counted, but not index-checkable 3 references confirmed by manual review
References not verified automatically are resolved manually within 24 hours.
No retraction or expression of concern found in Crossref (includes Retraction Watch).
Sources: Crossref (incl. Retraction Watch) ✓
Where this paper’s evidence sits on the path from initial observation to real-world use.
The work remains an initial correlational observation rather than a tested prediction system or actionable procedure.
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