A Sociobiological Approach to the Complexity of Human Musical Behavior
Scientists have been wrong in the past. A lot of times. From the since-debunked concept of phrenology, which claims that you can tell personality traits from the bumps on a person’s skull (you can’t), to polygraphs, which claim to be able to tell when someone is telling a lie (it can’t), science has put forth some outrageously wrong theories in the past. However, we always reassess and modify our theories in pursuit of the truth.
Such is the reason why science is often referred to as a self-correcting discipline. It is characterized by a history of endless theories and models that have been critiqued, refined, integrated, and sometimes even discarded altogether to build a better, more accurate theory. One instance of the proof of science as a self-correcting discipline is in relation to science and medicine. While the biomedical model was very popular in the mid-20th century, it had flaws of assuming an overly analytic and reductionist approach to science and medicine. In response, theories such as the biopsychosocial theory and the sociobiological approach were born in an attempt to advocate for a more holistic approach to science, where the biopsychosocial theory approaches illness and treatment simultaneously from biological, psychological, and sociological perspectives, and the sociobiological approach views and treats illness from a sociological and biological approach. After all, a good scientist considers every relevant factor of a subject of interest, right? Such is the approach that Good & Russo took in their study, by studying both the sociological and biological reasons why group singing may be related to a mood boost.
In today’s world, science and medicine often take a more holistic approach and consider the whole context of the subject of study, rather than reducing it to its bare components. A standard annual doctor’s office visit covers every aspect of the biopsychosocial model, from lab tests to a thorough conversation between the doctor and patient. Given the potential hours you might have already wasted on waiting for a doctor to even come into the examination room (yikes), it might be tempting to choose the time-saving option of having doctors to treat us like bones and organs encased in a hydrophilic bag - a quick physical exam, blood test, and out the door we go. However, the biopsychosocial approach to patient care is more thorough, reliable, comprehensive, and conducive to preventative care, which is why medicine has adopted this model. Theories such as the biopsychosocial approach and sociobiological approach aim to take a more contextual and cross-disciplinary approach to science, and much like medicine, this is the approach that Good & Russo took in their study.
In harmony with the emerging approach to science as a holistic field of study, the researchers modeled the sociobiological approach to frame a pilot study that aimed to discover whether the mood elevation associated with group singing is due to the social aspects of group singing, or due to the individual factors of singing itself. The purpose of this pilot study was to test the methods used in this paper with a smaller sample size before conducting the study on a larger scale, to ensure that valuable resources are not wasted. The researchers constructed the current study theoretical from various literature, from studies whose findings reinforce the idea that the social aspects of making music in a group context fosters social bonding, potentially due to the neurohormonal impact of oxytocin release, to studies that support the idea that the deep, controlled breathing pattern associated with singing accounts for the stress reduction and relaxation. The current study assessed the level of salivary oxytocin to measure social bonding, and salivary cortisol to measure stress regulation. Specifically, oxytocin was measured to assess social bonding because oxytocin plays a significant role in bonding between a parent and a child, as well as in romantic relationships. Likewise, cortisol was measured to assess stress regulation because cortisol regulates the body’s natural stress response, the fight or flight response. The researchers, Good & Russo, stated predictions that an increase in oxytocin levels would occur after group singing but not individual singing under the social bonding account, and that cortisol levels would decrease after both group singing and individual singing under the stress regulation account.
During data collection, the researchers randomly assigned approximately half of the participants to one of two groups: one group performed individual singing before group singing, and the other group performed group singing before individual singing. This random assignment was to account for any effect that either individual singing or group singing first would have on oxytocin, cortisol, and mood levels, as each participant participated in both individual and group singing, respectively. They also collected data at the same time of the day to account for natural hormone fluctuations during the day, and made sure that the group singing and the individual singing involved the same choir activities. All of these measures served to ensure that any effect the researchers saw in the data was due to the experimental condition of group singing or individual singing, rather than other unknown variables that might influence the results and lead to a false conclusion that group singing or individual singing causes the changes in the oxytocin, cortisol, or mood levels. The researchers also used three different measures: 1) salivary oxytocin, 2) salivary cortisol, and 3) brief mood questionnaire.
The results that the researchers found from analysis of their collected data were 1) increased mood-boosting effects were seen in the group singing condition but not the individual singing condition, 2) increased oxytocin levels were seen in the group singing condition but not the individual singing condition, 3) decreased cortisol levels were observed in both group and individual singing conditions, and 4) oxytocin could predict mood significantly, while cortisol could not predict mood significantly. Good and Russo concluded two things from these results: 1) the boost in mood of singing is mainly due to social bonding, rather than an inherent effect of singing itself, and 2) the ability of oxytocin to significantly predict mood indicates oxytocin to be at least partly responsible for the mood-boosting effects of group singing. The researchers connect this conclusion back to the proposed evolutionary purpose of music, where group singing encourages social bonding, shared goals, and joint action and are therefore evolutionarily favorable for survival.
Finally, Good & Russo discuss some limitations for this study that readers should keep in mind when interpreting the results of this study. First, the researchers discusses how the sound-attenuated chamber that the participants used for individual singing may be the cause of why individual singing wasn’t associated with a mood boost, even though it is demonstrated in anecdotal evidence and other studies such as Lonsdale & Day (2020), Schladt et al., (2017), and Valentine & Evans (2001). Think about it, how many times have you found yourself in a great mood after singing your heart out to your favorite songs on a drive? Secondly, Good & Russo discuss how their small sample size of less than ten participants may limit the ability for the results of this study to be generalized to bigger populations. Given that this study was a pilot study intended to test the methods on a smaller scale before conducting the same study on a larger scale, we will be on the lookout for the larger-scale study with a larger participant sample size from Good & Russo in the future.
In summary, the study by Good & Russo shows evidence that the mood boost associated with group singing is caused by social factors such as social bonding, shared goals, and joint action, rather than individual factors such as regulation of stress. Some implications of this study’s results include the need to push back against the cutting of musical arts programs such as choir, band, and orchestra in response to school budget cuts, as group music making increases social bonding with classmates and boosts students’ moods. In an education system where more accurate and accessible knowledge about mental health is leading to a more appropriate emphasis on its significance, we must find and support activities that intersect the need to support students’ mental health and the need to support their academic and educational growth; group music-making, as a mood-booster and a social bonding factor, is the perfect example of said intersection. Music lovers, if you need any more reasons to fight for funding of group music-making programs, add this study by Good & Russo (2021) to the handy-dandy mental list of studies you carry around to pull out when someone suggests that music education in schools isn’t important.
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