Exploring Musical Activities and Their Relationship to Emotional Well-Being in Elderly People across Europe : A Study Protocol

Music is a powerful, pleasurable stimulus that can induce positive feelings and can therefore be used for emotional self-regulation. Musical activities such as listening to music, playing an instrument, singing or dancing are also an important source for social contact, promoting interaction and the sense of belonging with others. Recent evidence has suggested that after retirement, other functions of music, such as self-conceptual processing related to autobiographical memories, become more salient. However, few studies have addressed the meaningfulness of music in the elderly. This study aims to investigate elderly people's habits and preferences related to music, study the role music plays in their everyday life, and explore the relationship between musical activities and emotional well-being across different countries of Europe. A survey will be administered to elderly people over the age of 65 from five different European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, and UK) and to a control group. Participants in both groups will be asked about basic sociodemographic information, habits and preferences in their participation in musical activities and emotional well-being. Overall, the aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the role of music in the elderly from a psychological perspective. This advanced knowledge could help to develop therapeutic applications, such as musical recreational programs for healthy older people or elderly in residential care, which are better able to meet their emotional and social needs.Peer reviewe

Blessing or curse?

Die Kommunikation in Unternehmen hat aufgrund der technologischen Fortschritte das Arbeitsumfeld verändert. Die meisten Unternehmen haben eine Vielzahl von Kommunikationskanälen implementiert, um räumliche und zeitliche Differenzen zwischen Mitarbeitern, Lieferanten, und Kunden zu überbrücken und den wachsenden Anforderungen des Marktes gerecht zu werden. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, eine Forschungslücke zu schließen, indem untersucht wurde, welche Beziehungen die Kommunikationskanäle (Face-to-Face, Videokonferenzen, Audioanrufe, Sofortnachrichten, und E-Mails) einer standortübergreifenden Organisation mit der Aufgabenleistung und Arbeitszufriedenheit haben. Arbeitsunterbrechungen und Informationsklarheit wurden als mögliche Verknüpfungen für diese Beziehungen untersucht. Die individuellen Unterschiede, das Bedürfnis nach Vorhersehbarkeit und die Fähigkeit Klarheit herzustellen, wurden als Moderatoren für die Beziehungen der Mediatoren mit Arbeitsleistung und Arbeitszufriedenheit, in das Modell aufgenommen. Die Stichprobe umfasste Fragebogenquerschnittsdaten von 180 MitarbeiterInnen einer standortübergreifenden Organisation. Ergebnisse der Regressionsanalysen zeigten, dass verschiedene Kommunikationskanäle indirekt über Informationsklarheit, nicht jedoch über Arbeitsunterbrechungen, in Zusammenhang mit der Arbeitszufriedenheit und der Aufgabenleistung standen. Darüber hinaus wurden für einige Kanäle direkte Beziehungen mit Aufgabenleistung, unabhängig von Mediatoren, gefunden. Die vorgeschlagenen individuellen Unterschiede standen in keiner Wechselwirkung mit diesen Beziehungen.Communication in businesses has dramatically changed due to advances in technology, constituting a shift in the traditional working environment. Most organizations have implemented a vast array of communication channels, in order to bridge space and time differences between co-workers, suppliers, and clients, and keep up with increasing market demands. This thesis aimed at filling a critical research gap by examining the relationships of most communication channels (face-to-face, video conferencing, audio calls, instant messaging, and e-mails) used in one specific multi-locational organization, with task performance and job satisfaction. Interruptions and information clarity were examined as possible links for these relationships. The individual differences need for predictability and ability to achieve clarity were incorporated into the model as moderators for the relationships of the mediators with the outcomes. Cross-sectional self-reported questionnaire data were obtained from 180 employees of a multi-locational organization. Ordinary least squares regression analysis showed that different communication channels were related to job satisfaction and task performance through information clarity. No channel was related to job satisfaction and performance through interruptions. Additionally, direct relationships were found for some channels with task performance. The proposed individual differences did not interact with these relationships

Exploring Musical Activities And Their Relationship To Emotional Well-being In Elderly People Across Europe: A Study Protocol

Music is a powerful, pleasurable stimulus that can induce positive feelings and can therefore be used for emotional self-regulation. Musical activities such as listening to music, playing an instrument, singing or dancing are also an important source for social contact, promoting interaction and the sense of belonging with others. Recent evidence has suggested that after retirement, other functions of music, such as self-conceptual processing related to autobiographical memories, become more salient. However, few studies have addressed the meaningfulness of music in the elderly. This study aims to investigate elderly people's habits and preferences related to music, study the role music plays in their everyday life, and explore the relationship between musical activities and emotional well-being across different countries of Europe. A survey will be administered to elderly people over the age of 65 from five different European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, and UK) and to a control group. Participants in both groups will be asked about basic sociodemographic information, habits and preferences in their participation in musical activities and emotional well-being. Overall, the aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the role of music in the elderly from a psychological perspective. This advanced knowledge could help to develop therapeutic applications, such as musical recreational programs for healthy older people or elderly in residential care, which are better able to meet their emotional and social needs

Exploring Musical Activities and Their Relationship to Emotional Well-Being in Elderly People across Europe: A Study Protocol

Music is a powerful, pleasurable stimulus that can induce positive feelings and can therefore be used for emotional self-regulation. Musical activities such as listening to music, playing an instrument, singing or dancing are also an important source for social contact, promoting interaction and the sense of belonging with others. Recent evidence has suggested that after retirement, other functions of music, such as self-conceptual processing related to autobiographical memories, become more salient. However, few studies have addressed the meaningfulness of music in the elderly. This study aims to investigate elderly people’s habits and preferences related to music, study the role music plays in their everyday life, and explore the relationship between musical activities and emotional well-being across different countries of Europe. A survey will be administered to elderly people over the age of 65 from five different European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Germany, Ireland, and UK) and to a control group. Participants in both groups will be asked about basic sociodemographic information, habits and preferences in their participation in musical activities and emotional well-being. Overall, the aim of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the role of music in the elderly from a psychological perspective. This advanced knowledge could help to develop therapeutic applications, such as musical recreational programs for healthy older people or elderly in residential care, which are better able to meet their emotional and social needs.© 2017 Grau-Sánchez, Foley, Hlavová, Muukkonen, Ojinaga-Alfageme, Radukic, Spindler and Hundeva