Personality differences among musicians: Real differences or stereotypes?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine whether the differences in personality traits of different groups of musicians are real differences or stereotypes. In our study we included string, brass and woodwind players, singers, pianists and music pedagogy students, namely, more groups of musicians than in previous studies. Participants were 182 music students (103 female) with average age 20.86 years ( SD = 2.72). Using the BFI-10 personality questionnaire, the participants had to evaluate their own personality traits, and then the personality traits of six groups of musicians. Participants also had to evaluate themselves and six groups of musicians on three pairs of adjectives: masculine–feminine (MF), insensitive/not emotional–sensitive/emotional (EM), and averse to alcohol consumption–prone to excessive alcohol consumption (AC). Results of the Kruskal–Wallis (K–W) test indicated that self-reported personality traits and self-reports on pairs of adjectives of different groups of musicians were coming from the same distribution. Comparison of self-reports with in-group and out-group peer reports showed that there are stereotypes about different groups of musicians. The differences between self-reports and peer-reports were most pronounced for openness, agreeableness, and proneness to alcohol consumption.