Personality, Mood and Music Listening of Computer Information Systems Developers: Implications for Quality-of-Work

This research examines personality type, trait mood, and use of music listening by 32 professional computer information systems developers (CISD) from two different IT environments in south Florida. Improved quality-of-work via use of individually preferred music listening has previously been reported in CISD. Music listening, offering an opportunity for improved positive mood, has been shown in the psychological literature to improve workplace task problem-solving and cooperative behaviors. Prevalence of basic personality type preferences was measured with the Myers-Briggs type inventory (MBTI). Trait mood, also known as individuals’ emotional dispositions, was measured with the multiple affect adjective check list (MAACL). Results from this exploratory pilot survey indicate a significant prevalence of introversion, thinking, and judging types in CISD with greater negative trait mood for introversion and feeling types. Music listening trends by type are reported, including findings such as extraverts listen to music twice as much than introverts, and feeling types twice as much as thinking types. The findings and recommendations have important implications for managers of computer information systems developers and, as well, may be generalized to similar work contexts.