Frontiers in Psychology (Apr 2021)
“Help! I Need Somebody”: Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis
- Roni Granot,
- Daniel H. Spitz,
- Daniel H. Spitz,
- Boaz R. Cherki,
- Boaz R. Cherki,
- Psyche Loui,
- Renee Timmers,
- Rebecca S. Schaefer,
- Rebecca S. Schaefer,
- Jonna K. Vuoskoski,
- Ruth-Nayibe Cárdenas-Soler,
- João F. Soares-Quadros,
- Shen Li,
- Carlotta Lega,
- Stefania La Rocca,
- Isabel Cecilia Martínez,
- Matías Tanco,
- María Marchiano,
- Pastora Martínez-Castilla,
- Gabriela Pérez-Acosta,
- José Darío Martínez-Ezquerro,
- Isabel M. Gutiérrez-Blasco,
- Lily Jiménez-Dabdoub,
- Marijn Coers,
- John Melvin Treider,
- David M. Greenberg,
- David M. Greenberg,
- Salomon Israel
Affiliations
- Roni Granot
- Department of Musicology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Daniel H. Spitz
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Daniel H. Spitz
- The Jerusalem School of Business Administration, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Boaz R. Cherki
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Boaz R. Cherki
- The Federmann Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Psyche Loui
- Department of Music, College of Arts, Media and Design, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
- Renee Timmers
- Department of Music, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Rebecca S. Schaefer
- Health, Medical & Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Rebecca S. Schaefer
- Academy for Creative and Performing Arts, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Jonna K. Vuoskoski
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion (RITMO), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Ruth-Nayibe Cárdenas-Soler
- 0Escuela de Música, Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Tunja, Colombia
- João F. Soares-Quadros
- 1Department of Music, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
- Shen Li
- 2Department of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
- Carlotta Lega
- 3Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Stefania La Rocca
- 3Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Isabel Cecilia Martínez
- 4Laboratory for the Study of Musical Experience, Facultad de Artes, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
- Matías Tanco
- 4Laboratory for the Study of Musical Experience, Facultad de Artes, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
- María Marchiano
- 4Laboratory for the Study of Musical Experience, Facultad de Artes, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
- Pastora Martínez-Castilla
- 5Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain
- Gabriela Pérez-Acosta
- 6Facultad de Música, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
- José Darío Martínez-Ezquerro
- 7Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Área Envejecimiento (UIESSAE), Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) & Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad (C3), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Isabel M. Gutiérrez-Blasco
- 8Independent Researcher, Málaga, Spain
- Lily Jiménez-Dabdoub
- 9Laboratory of Psychology and Musical Arts, Faculty of Psychology and Faculty of Music, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico
- Marijn Coers
- Health, Medical & Neuropsychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- John Melvin Treider
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion (RITMO), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- David M. Greenberg
- 0Interdisciplinary Department of Social Sciences and Department of Music, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- David M. Greenberg
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Salomon Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.648013
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 12
Abstract
Music can reduce stress and anxiety, enhance positive mood, and facilitate social bonding. However, little is known about the role of music and related personal or cultural (individualistic vs. collectivistic) variables in maintaining wellbeing during times of stress and social isolation as imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. In an online questionnaire, administered in 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, the UK, and USA, N = 5,619), participants rated the relevance of wellbeing goals during the pandemic, and the effectiveness of different activities in obtaining these goals. Music was found to be the most effective activity for three out of five wellbeing goals: enjoyment, venting negative emotions, and self-connection. For diversion, music was equally good as entertainment, while it was second best to create a sense of togetherness, after socialization. This result was evident across different countries and gender, with minor effects of age on specific goals, and a clear effect of the importance of music in people's lives. Cultural effects were generally small and surfaced mainly in the use of music to obtain a sense of togetherness. Interestingly, culture moderated the use of negatively valenced and nostalgic music for those higher in distress.
Keywords
