“Help! I Need Somebody”: Music as a Global Resource for Obtaining Wellbeing Goals in Times of Crisis

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...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Granot, Roni, Spitz, Daniel H., Cherki, Boaz R., Loui, Psyche, Timmers, Renee, Schaefer, Rebecca S., Vuoskoski, Jonna K., Cárdenas-Soler, Ruth-Nayibe, Soares-Quadros Jr., João F., Li, Shen, Lega, Carlotta, Rocca, Stefania La, Martínez, Isabel Cecilia, Tanco, Matías, Marchiano, María, Martínez Castilla, Pastora, Pérez-Acosta, Gabriela, Martínez-Ezquerro, José Darío, Gutiérrez-Blasco, Isabel M., Jiménez-Dabdoub, Lily, Coers, Marijn, Treider, John Melvin, Greenberg, David M., Israel, Salomon
Format: article
Publication Date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
Repository:e-spacio. Repositorio Institucional de la UNED
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:e-spacio.uned.es:20.500.14468/30567
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14468/30567
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:6102.01 Psicología evolutiva
6104 Psicopedagogía
music
COVID-19
wellbeing
individualistic and collectivistic cultures
mood regulation
nostalgia
gender
age
Description
Summary: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.

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