The psychological functions of and individual differences in music listening in Japanese people

Regardless of the time and location, people listen to music. One may ask why people listen to music and what function it serves. This study clarifies the psychological functions of listening to music and the attributes associated with the individual differences found in these functions. A total of 916 participants between the ages of 15 and 88 were asked to rate various psychological functions of music listening and Big Five traits. A factor analysis identified the seven factors of psychological functions of music listening: “self-awareness”, “emotion regulation”, “communication”, “tool”, “embodiment”, “social distance regulation”, and “solace”. The results revealed that the individual differences in the functions were the result of gender, age, and personality traits. The nature of these seven functions and future directions are discussed.