In the music industry, pop sensations Taylor Swift and BTS have captivated fans worldwide with the notable Swifties and the BTS Army fan communities. What sets each fan group apart? Psychology and Religious Studies major and member of the Women’s Lacrosse team, Kathryn Mackey ’25 is taking a deep dive this summer to uncover how each group’s personality characteristics differ or overlap as part of the Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP).
Mackey is working alongside faculty mentor and Professor of Psychology, Michael Roy to conduct a survey with the campus community and beyond to explore this unique topic. The two Blue Jays are gathering data to determine why each fan community listens to that specific artist. Mackey will present the research at the Landmark Conference this summer and hopes to further this research this fall as part of her senior project.
Title of Research
Personality Differences Between Music Groups
Student Researcher
Kathryn Mackey ’25 (Psychology and Religious Studies major)
Faculty Mentor
Michael Roy, Professor of Psychology
What are you researching?
Mackey: Music preference and personality have a clear link. However, there is little research on the specific fandoms or fan communities surrounding music and why those people are drawn to that music. I’m looking at people within fandoms, specifically BTS and Taylor Swift’s fandoms, and how their personalities differ or overlap. I’m also looking at identity development and self-esteem within the fandoms to see how being in a fan community impacts those.
Why did you choose this topic?
Mackey: Studying music and how it impacts a person psychologically, developmentally, and socially is interesting and something I’ve been interested in for years. The fandom portion of my research is personal. I am part of multiple fandoms and have found comfort in those fandoms. Still, that space is rarely represented positively in media and is scarcely discussed in an academic setting. The nature of fandoms and the impact they have on a person should be talked about more, and I hope to do that with this research and further research.
What was the most interesting aspect of this research?
Mackey: The most interesting aspect of this research is the relationship between personality, music preference, and identity development. I think being able to look at how music influences personality and, as a result, how secure in themselves and their ability to create a successful life for themselves will be interesting research. These results also will have an impact on people even outside of the fandoms.
What are you hoping to accomplish through this research?
Mackey: I am hoping to further the research on music and personality with the specific topic of fandom. I hope this research helps people understand their interests better and why they are drawn to the music they prefer.
Talk about working with your mentor. How have they helped you throughout this experience?
Mackey: Dr. Roy lets me direct the research and work on my own but guides me through issues I’m unsure about and offers helpful assistance for anything. His mentoring allows me to learn independently by having to problem solve but allows me to ask questions and receive helpful and insightful answers.
Hear from the faculty mentor — Dr. Michael Roy
“There has been a good amount of research examining personality differences based on the genre of music that a person listens to. As far as I know, this is the first research examining personality characteristics of dedicated fans of a specific artist, in this case Taylor Swift and BTS.”
