By A study by New York University raises the debate about whether it is possible to identify a person with psychopathic traits based on their musical preferences.
The link between music and psychopathy has been the subject of exploration for several years . In a 2017 study, a group of researchers looked at the connection between psychopathic tendencies and musical preferences .
The results revealed some very surprising and interesting data about the favorite songs of those with psychopathic inclinations. In this article we delve into the findings of this relevant research and others that we analyze throughout the content.
A playlist of 260 songs
The research team behind the aforementioned paper recruited 193 volunteers from various ethnic and economic groups to listen to a list of 260 songs. After the participants chose their favorites, the scientists compared their scores on the well-known psychopathy scale .
That said, study author Pascal Wallisch cautions that the findings may not be definitive , as the sample size is too small, as he told The Guardian at the time .
Although there are still many nuances to be addressed, this first experiment could provide an effective and safe method of detecting psychopaths. According to the author, it would be in favour of public safety, as it could prevent certain individuals from occupying jobs where empathy is especially important, such as the police, the army or health care in general.
Blackstreet and Eminem: the favorite music of psychopaths
The songs ” No Diggity” by Blackstreet and ” Lose Yourself” by Eminem are two of the most listened to . Clear examples of what the favorite music of psychopaths may be. Contrary to popular belief, the study did not find a relationship between the taste for classical music and the traits of this type of personality.
On the other side of the coin are songs like The Knack’s ” My Sharona” or Sia’s ” Titanium .” These songs have been rated as “the least liked by those with less psychopathic tendencies.”
Behind the mind of the psychopath
This is not the first nor the last work that attempts to increase the volume of valuable information we have about the mind of a psychopath. For example, a study published in Personality and Individual Differences points out that those minds close to psychopathy have a strong tendency to study business or economics .
This is an interpretation that was already the subject of the film American Psycho (2000) . In this film , the protagonist, played by Christian Bale, is presented as a clean-cut, cold, and wolfish guy from Wall Street. Although audiovisual products influence the collective imagination, this type of relationship with psychopaths should not be taken literally.
Returning to the subject of music, it seems that the myth of classical music and the psychopath established by characters such as Alex DeLarge, from A Clockwork Orange (1971) , or Hannibal Lecter, from The Silence of the Lambs (1991), is being left behind. We now know that people with psychopathic tendencies have more specific musical tastes.
Psychopathy and entertainment
Along the same lines of research as Wallisch’s study, the link between psychopathy and entertainment preferences (music and movies) was analyzed in 2018. The main objective was to investigate whether people with psychopathic traits have different entertainment preferences than people without these traits.
To conduct the research, the authors used a sample of 429 people and measured multiple personality traits, both normal and abnormal. The results showed that people with psychopathic traits had different entertainment preferences than people without these traits .
In particular, psychopaths high in fearlessness or “fearless dominance” trait tend to prefer music such as blues , jazz , rap, and rock . As for movies, they like war, science fiction, horror, and suspense movies.
It is important to note that this study has some limitations , such as the fact that it was based on self-report measures and not clinical diagnoses of psychopathy. However, the results do show that there is a slight relationship between psychopathy and entertainment preferences.
Problems recognizing emotions in music
A recent study published in Cognition & Emotion helps to fill in the gaps in the puzzle about psychopaths’ favourite music. The researchers assessed whether psychopathic traits are associated with difficulties in recognising emotions in music. After all, one of the characteristics of psychopathy is limitations in recognising emotions conveyed face to face by other people.
The experts found that, in general, psychopathic traits are associated with lower accuracy in recognizing emotions and a lower likelihood of feeling the emotion when listening to music. The relationship was strongest for music playlists associated with terror or horror . Therefore, they are likely to prefer songs that are not loaded with a powerful emotional charge that requires interpretation to assimilate the lyrics or its message.
The ethical problem that arises
In any case, it does not seem so easy to identify the favourite music of psychopaths. Although many of these studies can shed light on this aspect of mental health, ethics becomes the great pending issue.
As Wallisch, the author of the New York University study, warns, carrying out such tests without the consent of candidates could be controversial or even unethical.
Therefore, it is essential to establish rules and protocols when trying to unravel the mind of a person, whether they are a psychopath or not. Previous investigations and concepts such as the dark triad are tools that can be helpful , but they should not become an excuse to fall into prejudices or hasty diagnoses.