Effects of choir singing or listening on secretory immunoglobulin A, cortisol, and emotional state
Abstract
The present study investigates the effects of choir music on secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA), cortisol, and emotional states in members of a mixed amateur choir. Subjects participated in two conditions during two rehearsals 1 week apart, namely singing versus listening to choral music. Saliva samples and subjective measures of affect were taken both before each session and 60 min later. Repeated measure analyses of variance were conducted for positive and negative affect scores, S-IgA, and cortisol. Results indicate several significant effects. In particular, singing leads to increases in positive affect and S-IgA, while negative affect is reduced. Listening to choral music leads to an increase in negative affect, and decreases in levels of cortisol. These results suggest that choir singing positively influences both emotional affect and immune competence. The observation that subjective and physiological responses differed between listening and singing conditions invites further investigation of task factors.
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The beneficial effect of music on HPA axis functioning depends on situational context (rest vs. stress) and chronology of events (prior vs. during vs. after stress).
“Interpreting our findings in the light of these studies, we may deduce that the beneficial effect of music on HPA axis functioning depends on situational context (rest vs. stress) and chronology of events (prior vs. during vs. after stress).”
From The Effect of Music on the Human Stress Response (2013) · cites this paper as [74]
There is initial evidence that exposure to music is associated with different patterns of psychobiological changes compared to singing.
“For example, there is initial evidence that exposure to music is associated with different patterns of psychobiological changes compared to singing (Kreutz et al., 2004).”
From Psychobiological Effects of Choral Singing on Affective State, Social Connectedness, and Stress: Influences of Singing Activity and Time Course (2018) · cites this paper as Kreutz et al., 2004
These findings corroborate those of previous research (Kreutz et al., 2004; Fancourt et al., 2016).
“These findings corroborate those of previous research (Kreutz et al., 2004; Fancourt et al., 2016).”
From Psychobiological Effects of Choral Singing on Affective State, Social Connectedness, and Stress: Influences of Singing Activity and Time Course (2018) · cites this paper as Kreutz et al., 2004
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- Authors
- Kreutz, G., Bongard, S., Rohrmann, S., Hodapp, V., & Grebe, D.
- Affiliations
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Kreutz, Gunter
- Venue
- Journal of Behavioral Medicine
- Published
- 2004-12
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 623-635
- ISSN
- 0160-7715 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3521
- OpenAlex
- W1995900975
- Cited by
- 474
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 28 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 7.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Journal of Behavioral Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Music Therapy and Health
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Keywords
- choir singing, secretory IgA, cortisol, emotional state, positive affect, negative affect, immunocompetence, music and emotion
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Aged, Analysis of Variance, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Immunoglobulin A, Secretory, Immunity, Male, Middle Aged, Music
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