Background
Music is widely used in everyday life for a variety of psychological functions, including emotion regulation, stress management, and the enhancement of well-being (Weinberg & Joseph, 2017). Previous studies have shown that engagement with music is associated with life satisfaction, happiness, and psychological adjustment, suggesting that music serves as an important resource in daily life (Wang & Suh, 2024a; Wang & Suh, 2024b).
Research has also demonstrated that individual differences in music use are related to personality characteristics, with traits such as extraversion and openness being associated with greater musical engagement (Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2007). However, relatively little is known about how both broad personality traits and temperamental dispositions, such as the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) and Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS), contribute to everyday music use. Understanding these relationships may provide insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying musical engagement in daily life.
This study examined the relationships between personality characteristics and everyday music use among Chinese adults. Specifically, we investigated (a) correlations between everyday music use and the Big Five personality traits, BAS, and BIS; (b) the predictive effects of the Big Five personality traits and BAS/BIS dispositions on everyday music use; and (c) the relative contributions of personality traits and temperamental factors using stepwise regression analysis.
Methods
Participants
The sample consisted of 270 Chinese adults who completed an online survey (135 men and 135 women), aged 18-65 years (M = 41.14, SD = 12.94).
Instruments
Everyday music use was measured using the Use of Music Inventory developed by Chamorro-Premuzic and Furnham. Personality traits were measured using the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15 (CBF-PI-15) developed by Zhang et al., assessing neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness. Temperamental dispositions were measured using the BAS/BIS Scale developed by Carver and White, including the BAS subscales of reward responsiveness, drive, and fun seeking, as well as BIS. Internal consistency was acceptable, with Cronbach's α ranging from .70 to .87 for the Big Five traits, .86 for BAS, .80 for BIS, and .78 for music use.


Data collection and analysis
Following IRB approval and adherence to research ethics standards, data were collected online through a professional survey agency. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0, including Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and stepwise regression analyses.
Results
Correlation analyses showed that everyday music use was positively associated with neuroticism, extraversion, openness, and agreeableness, whereas conscientiousness was not significantly related to music use (Table 1). Among the temperamental variables, drive and fun seeking were negatively correlated with everyday music use, while reward responsiveness, overall BAS, and BIS showed no significant associations. Extraversion demonstrated the strongest positive correlation with everyday music use (r=.39, p<.001).
Multiple regression analysis indicated that the Big Five personality traits explained 19.3% of the variance in everyday music use (Table 2). Neuroticism, extraversion, and openness emerged as significant positive predictors, whereas conscientiousness and agreeableness did not make unique contributions after controlling for the other personality traits.
Stepwise regression analysis identified extraversion, neuroticism, and openness as significant predictors of everyday music use (Table 3). Extraversion emerged as the strongest predictor, accounting for 14.8% of the variance (β=.385, p<.001), followed by openness and neuroticism. Overall, the findings suggest that individuals who are more extraverted, emotionally sensitive, and open to new experiences are more likely to engage with music in their daily lives.
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings suggest that personality plays an important role in explaining individual differences in everyday music use. Extraversion emerged as the strongest predictor, indicating that individuals who are more sociable, energetic, and stimulation-seeking are more likely to engage with music in their daily lives. Neuroticism and openness also contributed positively, suggesting that music may serve both emotional and experiential functions for these individuals. In contrast, temperamental variables showed relatively limited accountability compared with the Big Five personality traits. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of personality characteristics, particularly extraversion, neuroticism, and openness, in understanding everyday musical engagement.
References
Chamorro-Premuzic, T., & Furnham, A. (2007). Personality and music: Can traits explain how people use music in everyday life? British Journal of Psychology, 98(2), 175-185.
Wang, J., & Suh, K. H. (2024a). Music and subjective well-being in older Chinese adults: Perceived stress moderates the mediating effects of emotional adaptability. Current Psychology, 43, 7275-7283.
Wang, J., & Suh, K. H. (2024b). The double mediating effect of stress regulation and life satisfaction on music use as a coping mechanism and happiness in Chinese older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychogeriatrics, 24, 1103-1110.
Weinberg, M. K., & Joseph, D. (2017). If you're happy and you know it: Music engagement and subjective wellbeing. Psychology of Music, 45(2), 257-267.