Examination of temperament and character traits in professional musicians

Music has many qualities that bring people together, provide entertainment, strengthen communication among individuals, and contribute to the continuity of cultures. The role of music in the personal and social development of individuals is well known truth. Musicians are individuals who live their whole lives around music. They cannot imagine their lives without it, create music, value their own compositions and artistic growth, and integrate their identity with music. Many behaviors related to music, which enable individuals to express their cultural and professional identity, are carried out for the purpose of earning a living. When a professional musician synthesizes and presents their aesthetic behaviors with their mastery, they are appreciated by the audience. In the literature, there are some studies examining the connection between music genre preferences and personality traits; however, the number of studies examining the personality traits of musicians is limited. In our study, we aimed to contribute to the literature by comparing the personality traits of professional musicians with a control group within a psychobiological framework. The sample of our study consists of 30 volunteer participants who are professional musicians aged between 18 and 60, and a control group of 30 non-musician volunteer participants. The participants were administered a sociodemographic data form and the Revised Form of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). As a result of the study, it was found that the scores of professional musicians in novelty seeking, persistence, and self-transcendence were significantly higher compared to the control group. In the study group, a significant and positive correlation was found between age and scores of persistence and self-transcendence. Our study is the first to examine the personalities of professional musicians using the Temperament and Character Inventory within a psychobiological framework, and it is believed that further studies with larger sample groups are needed.