Die Vermessung des Metalheads: ein Studienbericht

This contribution presents the results of a survey among +6,000 German-speaking fans of heavy metal music. Apart from better understanding this community's demographics, the survey aims to answer three questions: Does metalheads' big five personality differ from the general population? Does the metal community's happiness as measured by their PERMA level differ from the general population? And in what ways do metalheads "use" their music? Results suggest that, on average, metal fans are more educated and financially better off than the general population. Although the differences should not be overstated, metalheads diverge from the everyday man in that they are more open to new experiences, somewhat more introverted, less conscientious, and less emotionally stable - which leads to the proposition that mental illnesses such as depressive episodes and anxiety disorders might be more prevalent in this population group. Finally, results suggest that, apart from the joy of listening to the music itself, the main purpose of listening to heavy metal is emotional regulation, which sometimes means energizing oneself, and at other times, calming oneself down - which seems counterintuitive given the special aesthetic of this musical genre.