Fall Research Expo 2023

The Positive Psychology of Music and Human Flourishing

This study aimed at better understanding how different aspects of people’s relationship with music impacts their flourishing. Human flourishing within positive psychology encompasses both positive hedonic and eudaimonic outcomes; in this study, flourishing was looked at through the categories of engagement, meaning, life satisfaction, positive feelings, and negative feelings. The types of music relationships analyzed included musical training (how much someone has learned and practiced music-making and theory), music preference intensity (how much someone likes music), and types of music uses (how someone uses music-listening in their lives). Secondarily, employment status was considered to see if it had any impact on any of these relationships. Data was collected through a survey of 809 participants. Musical training was measured with job status, with flourishing measures compared amongst the differing groups. However, the only correlation found was a minimally positive relationship with positive feelings. When studying the music preference intensity of participants, positive associations were found between higher intensity of music preferences and both engagement and positive feelings. Higher music preference intensity was also associated with many flourishing categories for employed participants notably. In regards to music usage, music was used less for emotional purposes in favor of various forms of background music, and background music was positively associated with various well-being outcomes. Employment status was also positively associated with background music usage.

PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences 2025
CO-PRESENTERS
Danju Zoe Liu - College of Arts & Sciences 2026
Rahan  Siddiqi
Advised By
Katherine Cotter
Associate Director of Research, Positive Psychology Center
Christa Thandi Mahlobo
Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow
PRESENTED BY
PURM - Penn Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program
College of Arts & Sciences 2025
CO-PRESENTERS
Danju Zoe Liu - College of Arts & Sciences 2026
Rahan  Siddiqi
Advised By
Katherine Cotter
Associate Director of Research, Positive Psychology Center
Christa Thandi Mahlobo
Provost's Postdoctoral Fellow

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