Psychology over biology

There is an issue alive and well today which needs to be addressed and put to an end. I am referring to the split between nature Vs. nurture, one of the most hotly contested issues in history. This paper is within the vein of that same debate, specifically our musical preferences being based on either biology or psychology. There are numerous proponents and opponents for both sides. And although it may seem a like a daunting task to undertake. It is however easy to understand once one can see the commonly held opinions from facts. Although I agree biology does seem play a role in musical preference it is predominantly psychology that determines our musical preferences.

The history of biology and psychology is a long and intertwined one and I feel it necessary to start by illustrating the relationship and controversy between the two. Firstly, Psychology is the science of behavior, our outward and inward mental expressions. Biology on the other hand is the study and activity of all life, how it grows and continues its many functions. They share a lot in common, for their goals are the same. Both fields serve as a way to explain the motivations/reasoning behind our actions. With branches called ‘Physiological Psychology’ and ‘Neuropsychology’ one can see they can easily work together. However, at their core they are diametrically opposed for they give strikingly different answers and rightly so. Psychology see’s our musical preferences as a result of our upbringing, environment and backgrounds. Biology however, see’s this as a reaction to our genetics, DNA. One can see how this gets in the way of scientific progress; obviously these fields cannot advance when they are separated on such a basic level. When looking at the issue object...

... middle of paper ...

...nality psychology as a legitimate intellectual discipline and introduced the first of the modern trait theories.

Between our primary traits there exists secondary traits, which seem to essentially offer us a choice between our genetic programming. This structure is often misunderstood because secondary traits play in large part a significant role in our musical preferences. This means we can go against our programming at anytime if we choose to. Although, we are largely unaware of our determining traits and why we prefer certain kinds of music our psychological makeup usually follows the big five. In general these traits are described as possessing plasticity/choice and as stated above significant correlations with the emotional effects on people. Ultimately our psychological individualism is what accounts for the variance in our musical preference and its value.