A playlist can reveal a lot about a person. A new study has shown a connection between musical tastes and cognitive abilities. This is reported by the Journal of Intelligence.
Experts studied the "digital footprints" of 185 volunteers: an application was installed on their smartphones that recorded all the tracks listened to over a period of five months. During this time, participants played more than 58,000 compositions and simultaneously underwent testing for cognitive indicators.
Using machine learning methods, scientists attempted to predict test results based on music characteristics. Significant patterns were only identified using complex nonlinear models. It turned out that song lyrics provide more information than parameters such as tempo or key.
The analysis showed that a higher level of intelligence is often associated with a preference for minor music and studio recordings rather than live performances. Additionally, those who listened to music for longer periods and more frequently chose compositions in foreign languages demonstrated better results. Researchers emphasized that this is strictly a correlation, not a causal relationship. The fact is that musical preferences do not themselves enhance intelligence and cannot serve as a reliable indicator without considering other factors.
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