We are what we watch: Film preferences and personality correlates

Abstract

Movies and film make up a large component of our cultural landscape, but what those films say about our personalities is relatively under-studied. With this research, I set out to discover any connections between our film and movie preferences and our personalities, using the Big Five Factor model of personality as a guideline. Another important factor in my analysis was the interaction of gender. Participants were asked to indicate the degree to which they enjoyed various film genres, and then were given a brief Big Five Factor personality test. Notable correlations were found between the personality factor of extraversion and the genres of comedy and romance, and between the factor of openness to experience and the genres of documentary and science fiction. Significant gender differences were also observed, with women rating the genres of drama and romance higher than men, and men rating action and science fiction higher than women. These differences likely explain some of the correlations between traits and film preference in this study, as the sample was predominantly female. The findings of this study help lay the groundwork for a comprehensive, media-based model of personality, but further research is needed to develop the model to its full extent.