On Appreciating the Music of Our Parents: The Role of the Parent-Child Bond (Report‪)‬

In a world that offers such diverse varieties of music types, it is no wonder that great differences in music preferences exist. From classical music to classic rock, rap to alternative, jazz to bluegrass, each musical genre has its loyal fans and followers. Given this diversity, it should come as no surprise that many theories and research efforts have been advanced to explain how these preferences get determined. Some researchers have focused on situational factors, such as exposure frequency and exposure setting (North & Hargreaves, 1995; 2000), others have examined personality and lifestyle differences (Dollinger, 1993; Kopacz, 2005; Litle & Zuckerman, 1986; North & Hargreaves, 2007; Rentfrow & Gosling; 2003, 2006; Schwartz & Fouts, 2003; Zweigenhaft, 2008), and yet others have focused on the associations with music in memory and the physiological changes that occur from these associations, as possible explanatory mechanisms for differences in music preferences and tastes (Krumhansl, 1997; Meyer, 1956; Woody & Burns, 2001). Moreover, these research endeavors have met with a great deal of success. For example, North and Hargreaves (1995) produced evidence suggesting that repeated exposure to complex pieces of music is associated with more positive evaluations of those pieces, whereas Schwartz and Fouts (2003) found that differences in musical preferences were related to differences in dispositional variables such as self-concept evaluation, academic performance, and feelings toward authority. Dollinger (1993) discovered that levels of extraversion and sensation seeking can predict preferences (see also Litle & Zuckerman, 1986). Additionally, Krumhansl (1997) demonstrated that the same physiological changes (e.g., heart and respiration rate, skin conductance, temperature, blood pressure) that accompany an emotional experience also occur while listening to music excerpts generally considered evocative of particular emotions (see also Nyklicek, Thayer, & Van Doornen, 1997).