Music and Health - Playlist (Belongingness Intro)


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Belongingness

One of the health benefits musicking serves is the feeling of belonging. Social and evolutionary psychology researches have found that the need and desire to belong to a group is found in most humans, and that mortality rates and proneness to physical and mental health problems are higher among people without social connections (Baumeister 
& Leary, 1995; Lynch, 1979).

Musicking, particularly group musical activities, create and maintain the identity of each member as  part of the group and therefore enhance the sense of unity and belonging (Ansdell, 2010; Cross, 2008). Listening to music also has this effect. For example, listening to culturally or nationally relevant music can heighten the sense of one's cultural or national identity (Clarke, Dibben & Pitts, 2010).

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