Symposium Session International Positive Psychology Association 8th IPPA World Congress 2023

Practicing the Positive Humanities:  How Music and Theater Interventions Can Bolster Confidence, Connection, and Subjective Well-Being (#67)

Shannon Polly 1 , Tricia Fox Ransom 2 , Paula Toledo 3
  1. Positive Business DC, Washington, DC, United States
  2. Tricia Fox Music, Austin, TX, United States
  3. SocialWell Collective, Vancouver, Canada

Symposium Summary:

We have an epidemic of loneliness around the world which has far reaching implications for public health initiatives, health care costs, and suicide rates.  Both the United Kingdom and the United States have identified loneliness as a primary barrier to increased public health. Yet the emerging practice of social prescribing and research in the Positive Humanities teaches us that positive interventions which have been around for centuries have the potential to bridge those wellbeing gaps and build connection.  In this symposium we discuss theory, practice and proposed assessment of three aspects of the positive humanities - music, lyrics and storytelling. Music’s dynamic ability to influence emotion has been well studied. From mood regulation to rumination to self-expression. “Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent.” – Victor Hugo. In the first symposium presentation Ms. Toledo will look at social prescribing of musical interventions, the research behind the efficacy and further implications for research. Lyrics are not as often studied as music, although they are often partners. Yip Harburg, a popular American song lyricist most known known for “Somewhere over the rainbow” described his view on lyrics, “Words make you think... music makes you feel...but a song make you feel thoughts.”  The second symposium presentation is an exploration of the relationship between lyrics and positive psychology. Ms. Ransom will discuss a brief origin of lyrics, examine the body of literature on lyrics as well as its gaps, and finally suggest potential application of lyrics and well-being. Finally, the third symposium will look at storytelling in corporate settings.  Can the telling of a personal narrative, to a complete stranger, help to connect them and increase well-being in the storyteller?  Ms. Polly proposes research to assess the self efficacy, perceived connection and well-being of both the sharer and listener and what differences might be found in a data set which includes five different countries.


Symposium Presentation 1: Message in the Music: Do Lyrics Influence Well-Being?

Presenter: Tricia Fox Ransom

Music has long been an effective way to communicate to the masses, and lyrics have played a massive role in delivering this communication. Yet the opportunity for research on the role lyrics play in well-being is vastly underutilized. This paper is an exploration of the relationship between lyrics and positive psychology. I will discuss a brief origin of lyrics, examine the body of literature on lyrics as well as its gaps, and finally suggest potential application of lyrics to increasing various aspects of well-being. We are only beginning to have the language to discuss the positive and negative effects of lyrics. The results of this exploration indicate that lyrics have the potential to increase two of the five elements of well-being in the PERMA model, positive emotions and meaning. It is suggested that you can increase well-being by mindfully listening to meaning-filled lyrics bolstered by music’s ability to influence emotion. Considering music’s accessibility and commonality, the relationship between lyrics and positive psychology has the potential for a broad impact that can contribute to Martin Seligman’s goal of 51% of the population flourishing by 2051.

Symposium Presentation 2: Wisdom and Wonder: Musical Social Prescriptions

Presenter: Paula Toledo

Human beings have innate needs for relationship. Empirical evidence underscores that these needs are so strong that in the absence of building a social network, a person can succumb to a range of life-threatening illnesses associated with being lonely. With loneliness reaching epidemic levels, it has become a serious public health issue. Fortunately, a holistic healthcare solution called social prescribing is emerging globally. Social prescribing bridges clinical care with social care so that primary care providers can refer non-clinical patients to community-based resources and social activities. This talk will highlight the empirical evidence surrounding the effectiveness of social prescribing and music related social prescriptions as a solution to combat loneliness and enhance well-being while highlighting how music, wisdom, and wonder, can be instruments to facilitate social connections. An evidence-based application plan is designed to reinforce the likelihood that music social prescriptions are adopted so that positive outcomes relating to well-being can be achieved.

Symposium Presentation 3: Embodiment and Human Flourishing: Can Storytelling Increase Vulnerability, Confidence and Connection Among Participants in Five Countries?

Presenter: Shannon Polly

In Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk’s seminal work, The Body Keeps the Score, he highlights that trauma is locked in our physiology and that somatic interventions are the best to unlock and release that trauma.  Around the world, we have been experiencing a collective trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic, with social isolation and loneliness at an all time high.  We propose that the way humans have communicated since the dawn of time - stories - is an embodied and authentic way to unlock that trauma, access vulnerability, human connection and increased wellbeing.  Many theories could explain the power of stories such as Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, Pawelski’s positive humanities, Margarita Tarragona’s narrative therapy, Adlerian theory, and Daryl Bem’s self perception theory. This talk will weave together those theories and highlight the practice of teaching storytelling and executive presence in five countries:  Philippines, India, China, United States and Argentina.  Research is proposed to assess storytelling outcomes in pre and post measures using the satisfaction with life scale, self efficacy scale, and the generalized anxiety scale. We propose that the empirical evidence surrounding the effectiveness of collective storytelling as a solution to combat loneliness and enhance well-being can be applied in small group settings.  

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