Having Chills May Be Related To A Personality Trait
Chills are a type of sensation in which it feels as if an electric current is born in the back of the neck or upper back and ran through the entire spine and skull to end up merging with the rest of the body.
Although its description may seem like a process that contains some violence, the truth is that chills usually lead us to a state of well-being and calm that is often accompanied by the appearance of goosebumps.
What causes chills? Many things, but, specifically, situations that have to do with the aesthetic appreciation of an image, sound or idea.
However, some research indicates that chills are more than just the result of being in the right time and place. Their appearance and frequency could be related to the personality type of the person who experiences them. In fact, a study recently published in Psychology of Music has found a link between the chills you get while listening to music and a personality dimension related to the personality trait of Openness to Experience.
Investigation
In this research, the cases of a hundred students who were given to listen to the same recording, which contained five pieces of music potentially generating chills of varying intensity, were studied. The appearance or not of chills was measured by placing electrical sensors on the skin of the participants and asking them to press a button the moment they noticed a chill.
In addition, the members of the group of participants also filled out personality questionnaires that included items that measured the 5 big personality traits: Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness
Crossing the data obtained through the personality tests and the stage in which the chills were measured, the researchers began to see what interactions occurred between the personality of the volunteers and these pleasant sensations produced by listening to music.
The results
As expected (judging by the results obtained in similar studies carried out previously), the frequency with which chills were experienced showed a correlation with the Openness to Experience score.
But the most curious thing about the results was that within the indicators used to give an Openness to Experience score, there was a facet of it that reflected the correlation especially well. This is a factor called Fancywhat is the tendency to pay attention to subjective experiences imagined by oneself
How are these findings explained?
Although the appearance of chills may seem somewhat unremarkable, this study (added to several others of its kind) shows that the degree to which they appear gives some indications about the type of personality one has, at least those that are generated while listening to music. .
Does this make sense? Actually, yes. Among other things, chills are a symptom of the way in which moments when listening to music are experienced and provide information about how we react to certain stimuli.
In turn, these reactions can be modulated by the most predominant personality traits of the person. In fact, not all people are capable of having chills, and some are more prone to having especially intense chills: these are not automatic and stereotyped responses that are activated in us in a predictable way. Personal characteristics play a role.
Specifically, the Openness to Experience trait and the Fantasy facet measure the way in which stimulating, immersive situations are experienced and that direct all attention towards stimuli related to strong emotional activation or a feeling of satisfaction.
So you already know. Chills Aren’t Just Pleasant: They Also Say Things About You
