The Roles of Emotional Adaptability and Stress Regulation on the Enjoyment of Music Listening and Chinese Adults’ Subjective Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

AbstractBackground This study investigated the relationship between the enjoyment of music listening and subjective well-being among Chinese adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the mediation effect of emotionally adaptive functions of music listening and of stress regulation of music listening in the aforementioned relationship. Methods The participants were 277 male and female Chinese adults aged 18–57 years. The mediating effects were analyzed using PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 4. Results The results revealed that the enjoyment of music listening was positively correlated with the emotionally adaptive functions of music listening, stress regulation of music listening, and subjective well-being. Additionally, the emotionally adaptive functions and stress regulation of music listening were positively correlated with subjective well-being. The emotionally adaptive functions of music listening completely mediated the association between enjoyment of music listening and subjective well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, the stress regulation of music listening did not mediate this relationship. Conclusion These findings suggest that music listening can enhance the subjective well-being of Chinese adults through emotionally adaptive functions in stressful situations.