The Contradictory Preferences of Neurotic Individuals: Seeking Emotional Intensity While Avoiding Sensory Stimulation

Individuals high in neuroticism present an apparent paradox in their music-related behaviors: they simultaneously prefer emotionally intense and rebellious music genres while showing lower tolerance for high-volume auditory stimulation. Framed more precisely, however, this is less a genuine paradox than a conflation of two separable dimensions of music experience– emotional and physical intensity– that has recurred in popular and scholarly discourse; this review aims to synthesize that conflation rather than to resolve a true contradiction. This literature review synthesizes research on personality traits, music preferences, and sensory sensitivity to address this apparent contradiction. A comprehensive search yielded 9 peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between neuroticism and music behaviors. The analysis reveals emotional intensity and physical intensity as separate dimensions of music experience. Neurotic individuals seek emotionally intense music for its psychological functions– emotional validation, regulation, and self-expression– while their heightened sensory processing sensitivity leads to discomfort in physically loud environments. Evidence suggests that listening contexts allow neurotic individuals to satisfy both needs simultaneously by engaging with emotionally charged content at controlled volumes in private settings rather than in overwhelming public venues. This resolution demonstrates that personality influences music behavior at multiple levels: content preference, listening environment, and emotional regulatory function. The findings have implications for understanding personality-driven music choices, developing personalized music recommendation systems, and applying music therapeutically with individuals high in neuroticism. Rather than representing contradictory preferences, neurotic individuals' music behaviors reflect sophisticated navigation of competing emotional and sensory needs.