Exploratory Listening Through Background Music: Psychological Predictors of Everyday Use

This study investigated the psychological, temperamental, and experiential factors associated with background music use among Chinese adults and examined predictive models incorporating psychological variables, demographic characteristics, and music-related experiences. In total, 332 Chinese adults aged 18-65 years (M = 35.89, SD = 13.34) participated in the study. Background music use was analyzed using correlational analyses, stepwise regression, and decision tree modeling. Results indicated that extraversion, neuroticism, and self-efficacy were significantly associated with background music use. Among temperamental traits, fun seeking showed a small but significant negative relationship. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that extraversion accounted for the largest proportion of variance, followed by neuroticism and self-efficacy, with the overall model explaining a significant portion of the variance in background music use. The decision tree model further identified experiential and contextual variables, including formal music education, enjoyment of music classes in childhood, living arrangements, and music-related family experiences, as important factors differentiating usage patterns. These findings suggest that background music use among Chinese adults is shaped by arousal-related personality traits, self-regulatory resources, and early musical experience. The results provide useful implications for further research and offer foundational knowledge for understanding background music use in everyday contexts.