Abstract
Adults entering later life encounter significant life events and transitions. The challenges of adjusting to major life changes can undermine one’s well-being. Research has shown that musical engagement in community settings can increase older adults’ subjective well-being by addressing their social and emotional needs. Guided by the Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT), this study examines the experiences of older adults actively engaged in community music-making and considers the links between active musical engagement and healthy aging. A focus group was formed from ten male participants of or approaching retirement age (aged 52–70), recruited from a community wind band in Hong Kong where members regularly practiced, rehearsed, and performed music together. Details of how musical engagement led to experiences of psychological need support and fulfillment were captured in three semi-structured interviews and analyzed using a two-step deductive and inductive approach. Preliminary findings reveal that active musical engagement is supportive of older adults’ psychological needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy through multiple pathways, resulting in enhanced well-being. Findings also suggest that support for one or more needs can have a facilitating effect on the satisfaction of other needs. To conclude, this study provides key support for the universality of core characteristics that make musical engagement an effective agent in healthy aging. It also provides illustrations of need-supportive practices in a unique setting comprising of older men as beginners on the journey of active musical engagement in the community. BPNT provides a useful approach to shed light on psychological mechanisms underlying positive experiences of musical engagement in later life and has the potential to explain its contribution to healthy aging across different cultures. Future research should continue to identify and evaluate need-supportive practices in musical engagement to promote healthy aging across the population.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Browning, C. J., Thomas, S. A., Kendig, H., & Ory, M. G. (2015). Healthy aging. Encyclopedia of Geropsychology, 1–9.
Chang, L. C., Yu, P., & Jeng, M. Y. (2015). Effects of leisure education on self-rated health among older adults. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 20(1), 34–40.
Chirkov, V. I. (2009). A cross-cultural analysis of autonomy in education: A self-determination theory perspective. Theory and Research in Education, 7(2), 253–262.
Chirkov, V., Ryan, R. M., Kim, Y., & Kaplan, U. (2003). Differentiating autonomy from individualism and independence: A self-determination theory perspective on internalization of cultural orientations and well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(1), 97–110.
Creech, A., Hallam, S., Varvarigou, M., & McQueen, H. (2014). Active aging with music: Supporting well-being in the third and fourth ages. IOE Press.
Douglas, K. A. (2011). A descriptive analysis of the psychological needs of adults participating in music ensembles: A survey of the New Horizon International Music Association ensemble participants. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Fung, C. V., & Lehmberg, L. J. (2016). Music for life: Music participation and quality of life of senior citizens. Oxford University Press.
Freer, E., & Evans, P. (2018). Psychological needs satisfaction and value in students’ intentions to study music in high school. Psychology of Music, 46(6), 881–895.
Hanna-Pladdy, B., & MacKay, A. (2011). The relation between instrumental musical activity and cognitive aging. Neuropsychology, 25(3), 378–386.
Hyde, M., Wiggins, R. D., Higgs, P., & Blane, D. B. (2003). A measure of quality of life in early old age: the theory, development and properties of a needs satisfaction model (CASP-19). Aging and Mental Health, 7(3), 186–194.
Lee, R. P., Ruan, D., & Lai, G. (2005). Social structure and support networks in Beijing and Hong Kong. Social Networks, 27(3), 249–274.
Lehmberg, L. J., & Fung, C. V. (2010). Benefits of music participation for senior citizens: A review of the literature. Music Education Research International, 4(1), 19–30.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000a). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000b). The darker and brighter sides of human existence: Basic psychological needs as a unifying concept. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 319–338.
World Health Organization. (2015). World report on aging and health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wong, A. (2020). Musical Engagement and Psychological Need Satisfaction in Later Life: Experiences from Community Older Musicians in Hong Kong. In: Ng, B., Ho, G. (eds) Self-Determination Theory and Healthy Aging. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6968-5_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6968-5_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-6967-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-6968-5
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)