Psychologist Says: iPod Most Played Songs More Telling Than Bedroom

9:37 am, November 27th, 2008, Nicole Martinelli

If a woman plays soft jazz when you come over but the top 25 played songs on her iPod are death metal, she’s not showing her true self.

The warning comes from psychologist Sam Gosling, author of “SNOOP: What Your Stuff Says About You.”

In this guide for men who want an excuse to pry, Gosling reckons her playlists will reveal whether you’ve hooked up with a potentially dangerous harpy and haven’t noticed yet.

His advice:
“Look for variety not quantity. Also note the differences between the music on her iPod’s top 25 most played list vs. the music she has playing when you visit. Jazz, classical or blues suggests openness; country, pop and soundtracks suggest she is more extraverted and possibly nicer.”

The book offers a charts to use while you snoop to guage for extravertedness, neuroticism and agreeableness. On page 186 (via Amazon reader) he maintains that a peek on a the “most played” tunes on an iPod is “more telling than a bedroom visit.”

Intriguing. But it would take some serious sleuthing and expertise to understand someone from playlists. For example I’ve got a nano that just offers rowdy gym music while an older pod is entirely loaded up with wonky non-fiction audio books. Where’s that on the neurotic scale?

(Photo used under Creative Commons license, thanks to Balladist on Flickr).
Via Houston Chronicle

Posted by Nicole Martinelli in iPod, iPod Touch | Comment on this article