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The Effects of Group Singing on Mood

DOI:10.1177/0305735602302004
Authors:
Margaret M. Unwin
Margaret M. Unwin
Margaret M. Unwin
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Dianna Theadora Kenny at DK Consulting
Dianna Theadora Kenny
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Pamela Jane Davis
Pamela Jane Davis
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Abstract

Explored the effects of group singing on the mood of singers. Participants (aged 18-73 yrs), a community sample of volunteers, were randomly assigned to either a singing (experimental) or a listening to singing (control) group. The singers participated in a half-hour session of singing while the listeners sat and listened to the singing group. The Profile of Mood States Questionnaire (P.O.M.S.) was administered immediately before and after the singing session and again 1 wk later. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA; 3x2 factorial with 3 levels of time and 2 levels of group) were conducted on each of the P.O.M.S. subscales. Multivariate F tests indicated that significant changes occurred on the P.O.M.S. sub-scales (tension, anger, fatigue, vigor and confusion) for both the singing and listening groups over time. There were no significant group-time interactions indicating that both groups responded in a similar fashion to the singing session, although the effects for singing were more robust. The results of this study indicate that both singing and listening to singing can alter mood immediately after participation in a short singing session, and that some of these effects were evident in the P.O.M.S. scores 1 wk later. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
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Psychology of Music
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DOI: 10.1177/0305735602302004
2002 30: 175Psychology of Music
Margaret M. Unwin, Dianna T. Kenny and Pamela J. Davis
The Effects of Group Singing on Mood
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... Untrained group singing more closely approximates ancient group music-making while also incorporating an emphasis on wellbeing through providing positive experiences and social opportunities. Second, where previous research has compared group singing to another activity, comparison groups are often chosen that share few characteristics with choirs, such as creative writing, discussion groups or crafting groups (Allpress et al., 2012;Dingle et al., 2017;Grape et al., 2010;Pearce et al., 2017;Unwin et al., 2002). This is entirely appropriate for providing greater contrast between condition and control groups. ...
... In this group, findings are mixed. The studies reported here are grouped into those that take place within a clinical setting Grape et al., 2010;Perkins et al., 2018), those that compared engaging activities in a lab setting (Allpress et al., 2012;Unwin et al., 2002), those that compare to other organized leisure activities in natural settings (Dingle et al., 2017;Dunbar et al., 2013;Pearce et al., 2015;Pearce et al., 2017), those that compare choir participation to other kinds of musical or sport activities (Lonsdale & Day, 2020;Schladt et al., 2017;Valentine & Evans, 2001), and those that explore links between singing and pro-social behaviours in children (Beck & Rieser, 2020;Good & Russo, 2016;Kirschner & Tomasello, 2010). ...
... A study conducted by Unwin et al. (2002) recruited 81 participants and randomly assigned them to either a singing or a listening (to the singing group) condition. The Profile of Mood States was administered beforehand, immediately afterwards and again 1 week later. ...
Benefits of group singing for aging well Susan Maury thesis REV 0821
Thesis
Full-text available
  • Aug 2021
Human musicality is a mystery. Theorists have proposed that it was evolutionarily adaptive through its ability to create a shared and positive emotional state, increase a sense of social cohesion, and encourage pro-social behaviours. This research found that group singing provides immediate socio-emotional wellbeing benefits but longer-term benefits are confined to emotional domains. These effects were not unique to group singing, but were similar across comparison groups. Wellbeing was facilitated by both group characteristics (music, movement, socialising) and individual mindset towards participation (motivation, flow), with greater benefits for exercise groups. Implications for social prescribing and similar interventions are discussed.
... The finding that psychological measures of wellbeing increased during singing is in line with previous research using different measurement instruments such as the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; [17]), the Profile of Mood States (POMS; [34]), or visual analogue scales [24]. Thus the present findings corroborate the view that half an hour of singing is sufficient to enhance perceived psychological wellbeing. ...
... With respect to the ad hoc measures of positive and negative feelings in this study, it is of interest that both quantitative and qualitative responses of different kinds have produced converging evidence by showing that positive emotions might increase after singing [6]. For example, reduction of tiredness after both singing and listening to music occurred in another study on group singing [34]. The present findings confirm that singing is effective in inducing positive changes in these psychological variables. ...
Does Singing Facilitate Social Bonding?
Article
  • Oct 2014
Psychobiological effects of amateur choral singing were studied in a naturalistic controlled within-subjects trial. A mixed group of novice and experienced singers (N = 21) filled out brief ad hoc questionnaires of psychological wellbeing and gave samples of saliva for measuring levels of salivary oxytocin, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosteron (DHEA) at the beginning of 2 rehearsal sessions and 30 minutes later. The singing condition included warm-up vocal exercises and repertoire pieces. In the chatting condition, dyads of participants talked to each other about recent positive life experiences. Within-subjects, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) on self-reported and physiological measures revealed significant Time X Condition interactions for psychological wellbeing and oxytocin. Comparisons of mean scores showed patterns of changes favouring singing over chatting. There were no significant interactions for cortisol, DHEA as well as for the cortisol-DHEA-ratio. These results suggest that singing enhances individual psychological wellbeing as well as induces a socio-biological bonding response.
... There are several systematic reviews with attention to specific populations or health outcomes: singing as part of a therapeutic intervention [6], health and older people [7], respiratory function [8], health-related quality of life outcomes [9] and benefits for people with Parkinson's disease [10]. In addition, the act of singing involves a number of respiratory and neuromuscular processes that may have a relationship with emotion systems, and thereby amplify aesthetic experiences [11]. Clift and colleagues [3] conducted a large (N = 1124) crossnational mixed-methodological survey assessing choral singers' perceptions of the effects of group singing on samples from choirs in Australia, England and Germany. ...
Me and us: Cultivating presence and mental health through choir singing
Article
Full-text available
Background An increasing body of qualitative and quantitative research suggests that choir singing can improve mental and physical health and wellbeing. A recurring phenomenon is social agency and social and emotional competences. However, there is little consensus about the underlying impact mechanisms and the special nature of music as a medium for music-based social–emotional competence. Aim This research was carried out to explore how the participants experienced engaging and singing in the choir A Song for the Mind in order to understand the social and emotional aspects in relation to choir singing and mental health. Method Six women and two men were interviewed. The study involved open-ended interviews and applied Paul Ricoeur's phenomenological–hermeneutic theory of interpretation in processing the collected data. Findings Two themes emerged—The Singing Me and Cultivating Us. Joining the choir, singing and engaging with the lyrics, helped the participants get in contact with complex feelings and visualise and express challenges. This formed feelings of connecting to oneself and opening up to become aware of the world such as nature, the other person and the choir. Songs, melodies, tones, lyrics—singing together—formed a relation between the participants and the other and the group. This was a meaningful, and to some, a life-changing experience, and an important learning process to the professionals. As the participants are sensing and connecting to themselves, there is an opening for growing a nascent presence and awareness. Conclusion Joining the initiative A Song for the Mind instils an attention to the other person(s). The singing process seems to evoke presence, leading to awareness towards relational aspects and solidarity. In a choir singing perspective, and health care practice in general, this can be seen as a budding and ground-breaking formation of cultural activities holding learning and empowering potentials instilling mental health.
... This paper presents the findings of a mixed-methods pilot study exploring the impact of online singing sessions on the health and well-being of participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been significant research conducted recently in the fields of health promotion, community music and music therapy indicating the significant benefits of solo and group singing for physical (Kreutz et al., 2004;Clift et al., 2010;Fancourt et al., 2016;Gick and Nicol, 2016;Stone et al., 2018), psycho-emotional (Unwin et al., 2002;Gick, 2010;Dingle et al., 2012Dingle et al., , 2019Coulton et al., 2015;Williams et al., 2018;Allen et al., 2019) and social health and well-being (Murray and Lamont, 2012;Hays and Minichiello, 2005;Daykin et al., 2013;Dike, 2017;Moss et al., 2018;Cohen, 2019;Daffern et al., 2019;Batt-Rawden and Andersen, 2020;Camlin et al., 2020;Moss and O'Donoghue, 2020;Paldam Folker et al., 2021), and the interactions between these facets (Clift et al., 2008;Clift, 2013;Theorell, 2019). However, previous studies have largely focussed on choir singing, leaving other forms of group singing relatively neglected to date. ...
From hearth to hard drive: well-being benefits of online Irish traditional singing sessions during COVID-19
Article
This article explores the impact of online Irish traditional singing sessions on health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Singing sessions are unique facets of Ireland's music tradition that saw dramatic closure, interruption and digital transition in response to COVID-19 social distancing measures. This study highlights a gap in health promotion literature with regard to traditional singing sessions as a group singing activity and examines the potential for online group singing activities to have positive impacts on the health and well-being of participants. While traditional singing sessions foreground solo performances, they are quintessentially group activities, and include community engagement and active participation from singers and listeners alike. Through an online survey (n = 108), and ethnographic interviews (n = 3), this study explores potential health and well-being implications of online traditional singing sessions, and reveals four main areas of impact: social connection, enjoyment, cognitive motivation and timekeeping. The study suggests that online traditional singing sessions can promote health and well-being in participants, particularly during times of isolation.
... Tarr et al., 2015). Examples include comparisons of group singing with group music listening (Kreutz et al., 2004;Unwin et al., 2002), quiet chatting (Kreutz, 2014), and swimming (Valentine and Evans, 2001). In an early acknowledgement of this confound, Anshel and Kipper (1988) independently manipulated music and physical activity across four conditions: group singing (music/activity), group music listening (music/no activity), group poetry reading (no music/activity), and group film watching (no music/no activity). ...
Endogenous oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone in response to group singing
Article
Full-text available
Humans have sung together for thousands of years. Today, regular participation in group singing is associated with benefits across psychological and biological dimensions of human health. Here we examine the hypothesis that a portion of these benefits stem from changes in endocrine activity associated with affiliation and social bonding. Working with a young adult choir (n = 71), we measured changes salivary concentrations of oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone from before and after four experimental conditions crossing two factors: vocal production mode (singing vs. speaking) and social context (together vs. alone). Salivary oxytocin and cortisol decreased from before to after the experimental manipulations. For oxytocin the magnitude of this decrease was significantly smaller after singing compared to speaking, resulting in concentrations that were significantly elevated after singing together compared to speaking together, after controlling for baseline differences. In contrast, the magnitude of the salivary cortisol decreases was the same across experimental manipulations, and although large, could not be separated from diurnal cycling. No significant effects were found in a low-powered exploratory evaluation of testosterone (tested only in males). At a psychological level, we found that singing stimulates greater positive shifts in self-perceived affect compared to speaking—particularly when performed together—and that singing together enhances feelings of social connection more than speaking together. Finally, measurements of heart rate made for a subset of participants provide preliminary evidence regarding physical exertion levels across conditions. These results are discussed in the context of a growing multidisciplinary literature on the endocrinological correlates of musical behavior. We conclude that singing together can have biological and psychological effects associated with affiliation and social bonding, and that these effects extend beyond comparable but non-musical group activities. However, we also note that these effects appear heavily influenced by broader contextual factors that shape social dynamics, such as stress levels, the intimacy of interactions, and the status of existing relationships.
... Many qualitative and quantitative studies have illustrated the benefits of choral singing for social and mental wellbeing [69][70][71]. Service users' lived experiences suggest that group singing can act as coping strategies for those who are experiencing demanding life situations [72]. ...
Environmental Research and Public Health Essay Music Activities and Mental Health Recovery: Service Users' Perspectives Presented in the CHIME Framework
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Internationally, mental health service developments are increasingly informed by the principles of recovery, and the availability of arts and creative activities are becoming more common as part of provision. Mental health service users’ experiences, reflecting on the complex nature of using music participation in recovery are, however, limited. This essay considers literature that explores how music can support mental health service users in a recovery process. We have selected studies that include a broad spectrum of music activities, as well as literature considering various concepts about recovery. The conceptual recovery framework CHIME, that includes five important components in the recovery process, is used as the backdrop for exploring music activities as a contribution to recovery-oriented practice and services in mental health care. Eleven key components are identified in which music can support the recovery process: Feelings of equality; Social and emotional wellbeing; Tolerance; Hope and social agency; Triggering encounters; Redefining and reframing; A social practice; Moments of flow and peak experiences; Moments of meaning; Continuity; and Potentials instead of limitations. This essay concludes that the experiential knowledge of music activities from service users’ perspectives is essential knowledge when developing and using music activities in mental health recovery services. While this essay acknowledges that music activities can also produce unintended negative outcomes, the focus is on the positive contributions of music to mental health recovery processes.
“It just fills you up”: The culture of monthly community singing events in one American city
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  • Apr 2022
This article conveys data collected in an ethnographic case study exploring monthly participatory community singing events in one city in the American Midwest. I analyze these data through the lens of a “traditional” choral conductor who, prior to undertaking this investigation, had little knowledge about participatory singing traditions; I also utilize scholarship about participatory versus presentational music activities as defined by Turino. Themes that arose during data analysis include: the context of folk music culture of Middletown, the inclusivity of community singing events, the role of the song-leader in facilitating these events, and “wounding stories” from participants who were discouraged by music educators. Perhaps in reflecting on the dichotomy between performative and participatory singing events, the choral community may begin to unlearn strictures that make some singers feel unwelcome.
The effects of group keyboard music making on the mood states of college students
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Our pilot study explored the effects of a new, five-session group keyboard music-making protocol on the mood states of non-musician college students. Twenty-five math and engineering students participated in a keyboard music-making program without the expectation or need for extensive technical preparation or regular music practice. To assess changes in mood states before and after music-making activities, we administered the Profile of Mood States-Short Form (POMS-SF) questionnaire. Here, we show significant and lasting improvements in participant’s negative and positive mood states, which were more robust than mood improvements reported with other Recreational Music Making (RMM) protocols, suggesting a strong therapeutic potential of our group keyboard music-making program.
Choral singing and personal well-being: A Choral Activity Perceived Benefits Scale (CAPBES)
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Numerous studies have demonstrated the capacity of choral singing to improve human well-being and that, in certain sectors of society (including older adults, prison populations, underprivileged social groups, and mentally illness groups), choral singing bears several benefits. Thus, this descriptive study proposed a comprehensive structural model of the dimensions that comprise choral singing’s contribution to individual well-being and aimed to explain these benefits. The study was conducted in a non-random sample of 1,513 adult Spanish singers of both sexes and variable age. An instrument was developed to assess the psychosocial benefits of choral singing, as perceived by singers; it comprised five constituent dimensions: satisfaction, ability, group engagement, belonging, and optimism. The instrument enabled us to assess how choral singing contributed to well-being, with adequate reliability (Cronbach’s α = .917) and validity. The system of relationships proposed by the model represents a plausible explanation regarding the benefits of choral practice and singing for well-being.
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This paper presents the findings from a study which explored a variety of perceptions held by singers who were members of one of two choirs which are associated with two different ethnic communities in the London area; namely the Welsh and the Brazilian community choir. The findings of the research suggested that a combination of different social, musical and personal factors motivated singers to become members of the choir; however the findings also suggested that a hierarchy of factors exists and these can vary from singer to singer. The findings also suggested that both choirs were homogenous concerning their singers' goals which were easily identified. The participants agreed that developing their skills and knowledge and making music to a high standard were desirable elements in their membership of a choir; however, absolute technical precision was regarded as a positive and desirable element but not as a need. Findings from the study also suggested that whilst singers accepted the conductor's authority when it was limited to musical issues they also preferred their opinion to be heard on issues such as repertoire selection. For most participants, it appeared to be important to have a conductor who was encouraging and inspiring, who conveyed their passion for the music and demonstrated a good conducting technique. Public performances were regarded as an important and very rewarding part of choral singing by most of the singers and finally, the promotion of a culture different from the 'dominant culture' was regarded as important by all singers. Most participants agreed that they would choose to sing good music rather than music in their own language.
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Experiments were performed on one Macaca fascicularis and three Macaca mulatto monkeys. Electrical stimulation of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) elicited phonation closely resembling that naturally produced by such animals. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings from laryngeal, thoracic, tongue, and facial muscles showed increased levels of activity following PAG stimulation. Recordings were made from single neurons located within the PAG in one monkey. These neurons increased their firing rates prior to the onset of laryngeal electromyographic activity or vocalization. Spike-triggered averaging and microstimulation indicated that some of the PAG neurons may project to the laryngeal system. The function of the PAG is discussed with regard to vocal initiation, voice intensity, coordination of different muscle systems during vocalization, and for emotional vocalizations.
Effects of Music on Physiological Response
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For this study the heart rates of twenty-two members of a college-level music appreciation class were recorded while students listened to the first movement of Beethoven's fifth symphony. The measurements were taken at three different times over a six-week period before, during, and after experimental treatment. Experimental treatment consisted of either audiotutorial tapes or repetitive listening sessions devised for specific musical-ability groups. The same test music was used throughout the entire study to determine the effects of learning and repetitive exposure on heart rate response. A control group had no further exposure to the test music during the study. Stable segments of the test music provoked tachycardia (elevated heart rate) in the subjects, while alternating segments produced bradycardia (lowered heart rate). Heart rate response to music was found to be linked with the presence or absence of learning.
An Investigation of Emotional Response to Music and Text
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  • Apr 1997
This essay is an analysis of aspects of the implicit rhetorical theory held by civil rights activists. Activists held that the singing of freedom songs was an important rhetorical outlet. They often claimed that songs were more important to rhetorical success than speeches or other rhetorical forms, gave them special opportunities to express emotion and to encourage emotional involvement in the movement, and encouraged a heightened sense of spirituality.
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  • Jan 1994
provides a bridge from the physiological, automatic, and organic aspects of respiration to the psychological and clinical concerns / in the past, psychologists have looked at breathing as a dependent variable that reflects changes in emotion, cognition, and behavior / Ley views these interactions as bidirectional: breathing should also be examined as an independent variable affecting psychological processes / argues that dyspneic fear is a core factor in the etiology of panic attacks (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Affective Impact of Music Vs. Lyrics
Article
  • Jul 1994
Three experiments examined the relative impact of lyrics vs music on mood. In Exp 1, the lyrics, music, or lyrics plus music of a sad song were presented to 42 college students. While the music alone increased positive affect and decreased depression, the lyrics plus music had the opposite effect. In Exp 2 (44 college students), the sad lyrics plus music also increased depression and decreased positive affect even when performed in an upbeat style. Exp 3 (40 college students) showed that pairing the melody with the sad lyrics led Ss to rate the melody alone as less pleasant 1 wk later. Lyrics appear to have greater power to direct mood change than music alone and can imbue a particular melody with affective qualities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The music of the body: Music therapy in medical settings
Article
  • Jan 1993
Discusses the use of music as therapy from a medical point of view. The principal emphasis of research reviewed is on the soothing ability of music and on the value of music as an antidote to an overly technological medical approach. Some areas in which music therapy has been successful include (1) manipulating heart rate and blood pressure, (2) relieving anxiety and stress in cancer patients, (3) aiding in pain management and hospice care, (4) rehabilitating people with neurological problems, and (5) diagnosing cognitive and motor impairment in the elderly. Time and the musical expression of disease is discussed, with the idea that people with disease may perceive and respond to music differently than do healthy people. People with language disorders, especially due to brain damage following head trauma, are also helped by the therapeutic stimulation of articulation, fluency, and shaping procedures akin to musical phrasing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Creativity and consciousness: Music therapy in intensive care
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Investigated the effect of music therapy on 5 intensive care patients (aged 15–40 yrs) with severe coma. Each music therapy contact lasted between 8 and 12 min. The therapist improvised a wordless singing based on the tempo of each S's pulse and breathing pattern. The character of each S's breathing determined the nature of the singing. There was a range of reactions from a change in breathing, fine motor movements, grabbing movements of the hand, turning of the head, and eyes opening to the regaining of consciousness. When the therapist first began to sing there was a slowing down of the heart rate. Then the heart rate rose rapidly and sustained an elevated level until the end of contact. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Monosynaptic projections from the lateral periaqueductal gray to the nucleus retroambiguus in the rhesus monkey: Implications for vocalization and reproductive behavior
Article
The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is known to be essential for vocalization and reproductive behavior. The PAG controls components of these behaviors by means of projections to the nucleus retroambiguus (NRA), a group of premotor neurons in the caudal medulla oblongata. In the accompanying study (VanderHorst et al., 2000 [accompanying study]), the NRA and its lumbosacral projections have been identified in the rhesus monkey. The present light and electron microscopical tracing study describes the PAG-NRA pathway in primates. To locate midbrain neurons projecting to the NRA, wheat germ agglutinin horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was injected into the NRA in six monkeys. To determine the distribution pattern of PAG axons in the medulla oblongata, WGA-HRP was injected into the PAG and adjacent tegmentum in three additional monkeys. In one of these three monkeys, biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin subunit b were injected into the lumbosacral cord to retrogradely identify NRA neurons. The results show that a compact group of neurons in the medial part of the lateral PAG at the intercollicular level sends a dense projection to the NRA. The projection is bilateral with a clear ipsilateral predominance. At the ultrastructural level, there are monosynaptic contacts between PAG fibers and NRA neurons, including NRA neurons that project to the lumbosacral cord. The synaptic contacts were primarily asymmetrical and the labeled terminal profiles contained spherical and dense core vesicles. It is concluded that there exists a strong and direct PAG-NRA pathway in the rhesus monkey. Because NRA neurons projecting to the lower lumbar cord are included, the PAG-NRA projection is likely to be involved not only in vocalization but also in other behaviors, such as receptive posture. J. Comp. Neurol. 424:251–268, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Integrating music in breathing training and relaxation: I. Background, rationale, and relevant elements
Article
  • Jun 1990
Quasiformal reports of widespread use of music in counterarousal techniques abound despite little evidence of its psychophysiological effects. Some known effects are presented here, and they suggest, among other things, an influence on hemispheric dominance, changes in autonomic nervous system activity, and relaxation by paradoxical arousal patterns contrary to those in cognitive function and anxiety. Hypothetical subcortical reflexes are postulated as mediators. Different types of music and their effect are described. Of particular relevance is that some forms of music have been reliably shown to have a profound beneficial effect on breathing.