How everyday music listening can impact perceived social connection

Research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a marked increase in loneliness and social disconnection among university students. Listening to music can create feelings of social connection during periods of isolation. However, it is unclear how contextual details of everyday listening, such as the location and presence of other people, impact music listening’s ability to foster feelings of social connection. Therefore, this study used experience sampling methodology (ESM) to investigate factors underpinning how music listening can create social connection. Participants (N = 59 to date) were asked to install a mobile-ESM application, MuPsych, on their phone. For two weeks, when an individual played music, they were prompted to complete a short survey (at 0, 5, and 20 minutes into their listening). These surveys asked participants about their listening goals, mood, well-being, to rate how much the liked the music and how much control they had over the music, and to describe the context (e.g., number of people listening, location). Data collection is underway. Findings will offer insights into the impact of music listening on emotional well-being and social connectedness with implications concerning programs, strategies, and recommendations for tackling social disconnection in the post-pandemic recovery period.

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IPPA 2025: World Congress on Positive Psychology

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