Abstract

The vast majority of studies on media preferences and the personalities of media consumers rely on self-reported data on media consumption. The present study takes a substantial step forward in relating personality traits and human values to objective data on media consumption. Anonymized TV viewing patterns were obtained from a TV package provider and matched with the survey answers (n = 117). The survey measured the Big Five traits and human values. A series of regressions showed that data collected by a TV service provider could give an understanding of viewers’ personalities in terms of personality traits and motivational goals in the form of human values.