Why singing with others might make you calmer but not more bonded
Choir versus Solo Singing: Effects on Mood, and Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Concentrations
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Choir singing reduced oxytocin by 19% — the opposite of what was expected.
Prior research and pop science claim social bonding = oxytocin surge. This study shows a group activity known for closeness actually suppressed it, suggesting stress reduction might inhibit oxytocin release instead.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to reduce stress, sing — alone or in a group. Both work. But if you’re seeking deeper emotional connection, don’t assume choir = oxytocin boost.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Choir singing reduced oxytocin by 19% — the opposite of what was expected.
Prior research and pop science claim social bonding = oxytocin surge. This study shows a group activity known for closeness actually suppressed it, suggesting stress reduction might inhibit oxytocin release instead.
Practical Takeaways
If you want to reduce stress, sing — alone or in a group. Both work. But if you’re seeking deeper emotional connection, don’t assume choir = oxytocin boost.
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Year
2017
Authors
T. M. Schladt, Grégory C. Nordmann, Roman Emilius, B. Kudielka, T. D. de Jong, I. Neumann
Related Content
Claims (6)
When people sing together in a choir for 20 minutes, their body’s oxytocin levels drop—unlike when they sing alone, where levels stay the same. This surprises scientists because they thought group activities like this always boost oxytocin, the ‘bonding hormone.’
Singing for 20 minutes—whether alone or in a group—lowers your stress hormones, and singing with others lowers them even more, which means singing itself helps calm your body, no matter if you're alone or with people.
Your saliva's oxytocin levels stay pretty much the same from day to day if you're healthy, so scientists think it could be a steady sign of your body's baseline oxytocin — unlike cortisol, which jumps around a lot.
When people sing, their body releases two stress-related chemicals in saliva—oxytocin and cortisol—but these two don’t go up or down together, which means your body controls them separately, even though they’re both linked to stress.
When people sing, their body produces less of the stress hormone cortisol, which might help them feel calmer.