Relationship between singing and subjective well-being: The Singing Enjoyment Scale

Abstract

There are various positive effects of using music, but the effects of singing have been studied less than those of listening to music. Many tools have been developed to measure listening to music; however, there is no tool for measuring the enjoyment of singing. Thus, this study developed and validated a tool to measure the enjoyment of singing, and examined its relationship with subjective well-being. Data on singing enjoyment were collected from 24 participants using open-ended questions. Data for item and exploratory factor analyses were collected from 361 Chinese adults. The reliability and validity of the scale and the relationships between variables were analyzed using data from 277 Chinese adults. The results revealed that the four-factor model for enjoyment of singing demonstrated excellent model fit, and moderately good internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and criterion-related validity were shown for its mental elevation, choral engagement, musical nostalgia, and emotional renewal subscales. In addition, the enjoyment of singing positively correlated with subjective well-being. However, it was positively correlated with negative emotions as well as positive emotions. This study highlights the usefulness of the Singing Enjoyment Scale (SES) as a measure for research on educational or clinical use, and suggests that singing can be used educationally and clinically to promote subjective well-being.