Evidence for strong immediate well-being effects of choral singing – With more enjoyment for women than for men

Abstract

Choral singing as a leisure activity is associated with increased well-being effects. It is also known that women engage more often in singing activities than men do. The objective of the study was to investigate how emotional states vary on pre and post measurements of a regular choral rehearsal in groups of female and male choral singers. Participants were 212 individuals (women n=152, men n=60) from eleven choirs (amateur n=6, advanced n=5). Results showed that in accordance with the literature on emotions and gender, women reported significantly more positive emotional states than men did related to participating in a regular choral rehearsal. However, few differences were found. Moreover, descriptive data pointed at a pattern of gender differences. Women and men reported similar levels of negative emotions, but varied more in changes of positive emotional states on pre and post measurements. The absence of gender differences might be due to the fact that this group of choral singers had been engaged in choral singing for many years and therefore, their experiences and expectations of choral rehearsals were similar.