More Than a Song: Collective Singing Increases Well-being and Self-Expansion Via Collective Effervescence

Humans have been singing with other humans across time and culture. Although past research found positive effects of singing with others, it has not disentangled those effects from being in an established collective. In the current research, we examined the hypothesis that singing in groups leads to increased feelings of well-being and self-expansion even without an established collective. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the main mechanism for these effects is a feeling of collective effervescence—an intertwining sense that one is connected to others and that something special is happening. Finally, we hypothesized that the positive effects of collective effervescence felt during a singing event can last weeks, even months, after the event. Across two experiments and a longitudinal study, we found support for our hypotheses. Singing in groups predicts positive outcomes (e.g., positive mood, satisfaction with life, self-concept change, donation intentions), primarily via the collective effervescence experienced at these events.