Choral singing and personal well-being: A Choral Activity Perceived Benefits Scale (CAPBES)

Numerous studies have demonstrated the capacity of choral singing to improve human well-being
and that, in certain sectors of society (including older adults, prison populations, underprivileged
social groups, and mentally illness groups), choral singing bears several benefits. Thus, this
descriptive study proposed a comprehensive structural model of the dimensions that comprise choral
singing’s contribution to individual well-being and aimed to explain these benefits. The study was
conducted in a non-random sample of 1,513 adult Spanish singers of both sexes and variable age.
An instrument was developed to assess the psychosocial benefits of choral singing, as perceived by
singers; it comprised five constituent dimensions: satisfaction, ability, group engagement, belonging,
and optimism. The instrument enabled us to assess how choral singing contributed to well-being,
with adequate reliability (Cronbach’s α = .917) and validity. The system of relationships proposed
by the model represents a plausible explanation regarding the benefits of choral practice and singing
for well-being.