Als affektives und expressives Medium dient Musik dabei nicht nur der Befriedigung emotionaler und sozialer Bedürfnisse, sondern ist in seiner individuellen Ausprägung von gemochter oder abgelehnter Musik auch ein Mittel zur Konstruktion und Bestätigung der eigenen Identität. In westlichen Kulturen ist der Musikgeschmack als eine Einstellung oder verfestigte Meinung zu Musik ein wichtiger Faktor des Selbstkonzeptes und der Selbstwahrnehmung. Taking musical dislikes into account, the diversity and complexity of an everyday aesthetics of music can be captured, extending our understanding of attitudes toward music and the functions of music.

To conclude, musical dislikes are a complex, multidimensional component of musical taste.

Further, the degree of dislike ranged from a slight dislike to strong hatred. Quantitatively, the rationales found relate to a combination of reference points which is mainly the music, but often in combination with the lyrics, the performance, the artist, and the fans. The explanations for disliked music are based on both an excess or lack of certain qualities of the music or emotional reaction to the music, pointing to the idea of a missing ideal mean of music. Other functions include identity expression, the avoidance of negative emotional and physical states, and the implicitly expressed demonstration of musical competence. The observed rationales for disliked music followed three main themes of (1) object-related reasons such as the composition, the lyrics, and aesthetic dichotomies, (2) subject-related reasons such as emotions evoked – or not evoked – in the listener, physical reactions, self-related and normative reasons such as a mismatch with the self-image, and (3) social reasons which reflect a rejection of the values presented by the music and its fans and therefore underlining the importance of social distinction as a function of musical dislikes. The current study is centered on the rationales and functions of musical dislikes using semi-structured interviews with participants from different age groups (N = 21). While studies on musical preferences are abundant, dislikes have rarely been considered in musical taste research. In its individual quality as liked or disliked music, it can also be used to create and affirm one’s own identity.

Music serves to satisfy emotional and social needs.

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