Personality, Social Identity and Movies: How Film Preferences Reflect Individual Differences and Group Membership

Author : Dhyani Vashi

Abstract :Movies serve as powerful cultural artifacts that both reflect and shape individual personality traits and social identity formation. This study examines the relationship between personality characteristics, social identity processes, and movie preferences through analysis of existing research data. Using secondary data from multiple studies conducted between 2015-2024, this research investigates how the Big Five personality traits influence genre preferences and how social identity factors affect movie selection patterns. The analysis included data from 2,847 participants across 12 different studies examining movie preferences, personality assessments, and social identity measures. Results indicate that personality traits significantly predict movie genre preferences, with extraverted individuals showing stronger preferences for action and comedy films, while individuals high in openness gravitate toward foreign and art films. Social identity factors also play a crucial role, with group membership influencing movie choices through processes of social comparison and identity expression. Cultural background emerged as a significant moderator, with collectivistic cultures showing stronger connections between group identity and movie preferences compared to individualistic cultures. Age and gender also influenced these relationships, with younger participants showing stronger personality-preference correlations. The f indings suggest that movie preferences serve as both expressions of individual personality and markers of social identity, providing insights into how entertainment choices reflect deeper psychological processes. These results have implications for understanding media consumption patterns, marketing strategies, and the role of entertainment in identity formation processes among different demographic groups.

Keywords :Personality, Social Identity, Movie preferences, Big Five, Psychology.

Conference Name :International Conference On Social Science And Humanities (ICSSH-25)

Conference Place Pune, India

Conference Date 20th Jul 2025