IELTS Reading 練習 10 音樂偏好心理學（含題目+詳解）

The Psychology of Music Preference

IELTS · 雅思備考 · 11 min read · 2026-04-25

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主題: The psychology of music preference
文章重點: Why people like different music depends on personality, the music of their adolescence, and cultural background. Streaming's effect on taste is still debated.
難度: 進階 · Advanced
建議時間: 18 分鐘

重要單字

preference — a greater liking for one thing over another / 偏好
personality — the typical pattern of how a person thinks and acts / 性格
longitudinal study — a study that follows people over a long time / 縱向研究
reminiscence bump — the strong memory we keep for music from our youth / 回憶高峰
syncopated — with an unexpected, off-beat rhythm / 切分音的
feedback loop — a cycle where output keeps reinforcing input / 回饋循環

30 秒快速理解 30-second summary

Music preference is shaped by several factors. Rentfrow and Gosling grouped tastes into four broad dimensions linked to personality. The "reminiscence bump" means music from late adolescence stays meaningful for decades. A 2018 study of 43 countries showed that cultural rhythmic traditions also matter. Today, researchers disagree about whether streaming algorithms narrow taste or broaden it — a question that needs more long-term data.

逐段練習 Read paragraph by paragraph

1 段落 1 — A multi-factor question

Why one listener adores an acoustic ballad while another is energised by heavy metal is a question that has occupied psychologists for several decades. Research into musical preference sits at the intersection of personality studies, developmental psychology and cultural sociology, and no single factor explains the variation observed across individuals.

本段重要單字 (3)

adores — loves very much / 非常喜愛
intersection — a point where things meet or overlap / 交匯點
variation — differences between examples / 差異、變異

Quick Check · 隨堂小測

What is the writer's main point in this paragraph?

A. One simple psychological factor explains all music preference.
B. Music preference involves multiple disciplines and no single factor.
C. Only personality studies are useful for studying music taste.

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答案：B — B. Music preference involves multiple disciplines and no single factor.

The paragraph says research sits at the intersection of three fields and "no single factor explains" the variation.

2 段落 2 — Four taste dimensions

A widely cited series of studies by psychologists Peter Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling at the University of Texas, published between 2003 and 2011, proposed that preferences cluster into four broad dimensions: reflective and complex (jazz, classical, folk), intense and rebellious (rock, alternative, heavy metal), upbeat and conventional (country, pop), and energetic and rhythmic (hip-hop, electronic, soul). Listeners who scored highly on openness to experience in personality tests tended to prefer the first category, while those high in extraversion gravitated towards the fourth.

本段重要單字 (3)

cluster — to group together / 聚集成群
rebellious — opposing authority or rules / 反叛的
extraversion — the trait of being outgoing and sociable / 外向性

Quick Check · 隨堂小測

Which type of music tends to attract listeners high in openness to experience?

A. Country and pop.
B. Hip-hop and electronic.
C. Jazz, classical and folk.

看答案 · Show answer

答案：C — C. Jazz, classical and folk.

These listeners prefer "the first category" — which the paragraph defines as "reflective and complex (jazz, classical, folk)".

3 段落 3 — The reminiscence bump

Developmental factors also play a strong role. Across several longitudinal studies, the music an individual listens to between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four appears to shape lifelong preferences more powerfully than exposure at any other age. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as the "reminiscence bump": songs from one's late adolescence retain emotional resonance decades later, even when objective taste has broadened. This effect is robust across cultures and explains why most people describe their favourite music as that of their youth.

本段重要單字 (3)

developmental — relating to growing up over time / 發展性的
adolescence — the years between childhood and adulthood / 青春期
robust — strong and consistent / 穩固的

Quick Check · 隨堂小測

What does the "reminiscence bump" suggest about music taste?

A. People completely change their music taste in middle age.
B. Music heard in late adolescence keeps emotional power for decades.
C. The effect only appears in Western cultures.

看答案 · Show answer

答案：B — B. Music heard in late adolescence keeps emotional power for decades.

The paragraph defines the bump as songs from late adolescence keeping "emotional resonance decades later" and says the effect is "robust across cultures".

4 段落 4 — Culture and rhythm

Cultural setting introduces a further layer. A 2018 cross-national study of 43 countries found that preferences for rhythmic complexity varied systematically with musical traditions. Listeners raised in regions with polyrhythmic heritage, such as West Africa or parts of Brazil, showed greater tolerance for and enjoyment of syncopated patterns than listeners from regions with simpler rhythmic conventions. The study controlled for age, income and education, reinforcing the conclusion that early cultural exposure matters independently of demographic variables.

本段重要單字 (3)

cross-national — covering several different countries / 跨國的
polyrhythmic — using several different rhythms at the same time / 多重節奏的
demographic — related to population characteristics like age / 人口統計的

Quick Check · 隨堂小測

What conclusion did the 2018 study reinforce?

A. Income and education explain everything about taste.
B. Early cultural exposure matters even after controlling for demographic variables.
C. All cultures enjoy syncopated rhythms equally.

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答案：B — B. Early cultural exposure matters even after controlling for demographic variables.

The paragraph says the study controlled for age, income and education and still concluded that "early cultural exposure matters independently of demographic variables".

5 段落 5 — The streaming debate

Not all findings are settled. Some researchers argue that streaming algorithms are now a major force reshaping preference, potentially narrowing taste through recommendation feedback loops. Others contend that access to global catalogues is instead broadening exposure. Resolving this debate will likely require another generation of longitudinal data.

本段重要單字 (3)

algorithm — a set of rules a computer follows / 演算法
contend — to argue or claim / 主張
catalogue — a complete list of available items / 目錄、曲庫

Quick Check · 隨堂小測

How does the writer describe the effect of streaming algorithms on music taste?

A. They clearly narrow taste through recommendation loops.
B. They clearly broaden taste by giving global access.
C. The question is still an unresolved debate.

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答案：C — C. The question is still an unresolved debate.

The paragraph presents both views and ends by saying "Resolving this debate will likely require another generation of longitudinal data" — i.e. unresolved.

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30 秒快速理解 30-second summary

逐段練習 Read paragraph by paragraph

1 段落 1 — A multi-factor question

2 段落 2 — Four taste dimensions

3 段落 3 — The reminiscence bump

4 段落 4 — Culture and rhythm

5 段落 5 — The streaming debate

每天 5 分鐘的系統練習

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