Date on Senior Honors Thesis
12-2018
Document Type
Senior Honors Thesis
Degree Name
B.A.
Department
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Author's Keywords
quality of life; musicianship; active aging
Abstract
Objective. The current study sought to examine the effects of early musical training on the quality of life of older adults. Method. 58 older adults, at least 65 years old, were divided into three groups based on their levels of musicianship: non-musicians, low-activity musicians (less than ten years of lessons), and high-activity musicians (more than ten years of lessons). Self-report questionnaires were given to determine musical training and other factors such as physical activities. Quality of life was measured by the Quality of Life-AD, a 13-item survey. Results. The differences between level of musicianship and quality of life were statistically significant. Demographic factors such as sex, age, and education did not significantly affect the results. Conclusions. The results of this study supported the notion that the more musical training yields higher scores on quality of life measures. This is consistent with most previous research.
Recommended Citation
Berry, Brianna Nicole, "The effects of musical training on the well-being of older adults." (2018). College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses. Paper 182.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/honors/182
Lay Summary
A lot of research supports the idea that music and musical training have positive physical, cognitive, and emotional impacts on older adults. This study supported the idea that the more musical training you have, the higher you'll score on the Quality of Life-AD.
