Straight male guitarists play extreme metal to impress other men, study suggests
https://www.guitarworld.com/news/straig ... -other-men
A sample group of 44 heterosexual males were surveyed for the study, which explored “the reasoning behind investment in technical guitar skills” by taking a look at their practice habits, sexual behavior and feelings of competitiveness toward other men.
The results of the study “indicated that time spent playing chords predicted desire for casual sex with women, whereas perceptions of playing speed positively predicted intrasexual competitiveness," in plain terms, a wish to impress other men.
The study does highlight, though, that extreme metal is “heavily male-biased, not only among the individuals that play this style of music, but also among the fans of the genre.
“Therefore,” it continues, “it is unlikely that extreme metal musicians are primarily trying to increase their mating success through their music. However, musicians in this genre heavily invest their time in building technical skills (e.g., dexterity, coordination and timing), which raises the question of the purpose behind this costly investment.
“It could be that men engage in this genre mainly for status-seeking purposes: to intimidate other males with their technical skills and speed and thus gain social status.”
So there you have it, guys. Millions of years of evolution and heterosexual human males are no longer chest-beating, but rather turning to electric guitar shredding to show supremacy. Those of the extreme metal persuasion, at least.
We stress that 44 participants is rarely a sufficient sample size to confidently draw conclusions as to the motivations of extreme metal’s many thousands of guitar players, but the study certainly makes for an interesting insight.