# Red musical identity and subjective wellbeing: a longitudinal study of the chain mediating roles of awe and prosocial behavior

## TL;DR

This study explores how red musical identity in Chinese college students affects their wellbeing through feelings of awe and prosocial behavior over time.

## Contribution

The study provides the first longitudinal evidence of the chain mediation of awe and prosocial behavior in the relationship between red musical identity and subjective wellbeing.

## Key findings

- Red musical identity at Time 1 positively predicted subjective wellbeing at Time 3.
- Awe at Time 2 mediated the relationship between red musical identity and subjective wellbeing.
- A sequential indirect pathway via awe and prosocial behavior was supported.

## Abstract

Red music, as a distinctive form of red culture in China, plays an important role in fostering national identity and promoting subjective wellbeing. However, empirical research regarding red musical identity remains scarce. This study addresses this gap through a longitudinal study, using three waves of data to explore the relationship and potential psychological mechanisms between red musical identity and subjective wellbeing.

The Red Musical Identity Scale, Dispositional Positive Emotion Scale (Awe subscale), Prosocial Tendencies Measure, and Subjective Happiness Scale were used for assessments. The participants were 586 college students from a university in western China, the majority of whom were female (77.2%).

The results showed that red musical identity at Time 1, awe at Time 2, prosocial behavior at Time 2, and subjective wellbeing at Time 3 were significantly correlated, and all were positively associated with subjective wellbeing at Time 3. However, the direct effect of red musical identity at Time 1 on prosocial behavior at Time 2 was not significant. After adjusting for age, sex, awe, and prosocial behavior at baseline, red musical identity at Time 1 positively predicted subjective wellbeing at Time 3. Furthermore, awe at Time 2 mediated the path from red musical identity at Time 1 to subjective wellbeing at Time 3. In addition, a sequential indirect pathway was supported: red musical identity at Time 1 showed indirect effects on subjective wellbeing at Time 3 successively via the awe at Time 2 and prosocial behavior at Time 2.

These findings provide preliminary longitudinal evidence for the psychological mechanisms linking red musical identity and subjective wellbeing. However, given the single-site, predominantly female student sample, the conclusions should be viewed as tentative and are most applicable to similar university contexts.