A Japanese study found that when elementary school girls participated in a drum circle with their friends, levels of the hormone oxytocin in their saliva increased. Joining a drum circle with strangers had no effect on oxytocin levels. Cortisol levels did not change after these activities. The paper was published in brain and behavior.
Oxytocin and cortisol are two important hormones that play a key role in how the body responds to social situations and stress. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the “love hormone” because it is involved in bonding, trust, and social connection. It is released during activities such as hugging, childbirth, breastfeeding, and positive social interactions. Oxytocin tends to promote relaxation, reduce anxiety, and strengthen interpersonal relationships.
In contrast, cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” and is released in response to physical or psychological stress. It helps mobilize energy by raising blood sugar levels and preparing the body for the “fight or flight” response. Short-term increases in cortisol are adaptive and help us cope with immediate challenges. However, chronically elevated cortisol levels can have deleterious effects such as weakened immunity, disturbed sleep, and increased risk of disease. Oxytocin and cortisol tend to have opposing effects, with oxytocin attenuating the stress response and cortisol increasing it.
Study author Mitsuru Kikuchi and colleagues wanted to assess oxytocin and cortisol responses in children participating in facilitated drum circle activities for the first time. They hypothesized that children who participate in such circles with friends would show higher oxytocin levels than children who participate with strangers.
The study participants were 28 girls between the ages of 9 and 10 attending elementary schools in Japan. The study authors divided them into two groups of 14 girls. One group participated in a drum circle with friends, and the other group participated with strangers.
The drum circle had no singing or background music, and only played drums. Drums were placed in a circle, and the children chose their favorite drum and sat next to it. Facilitators and assistants guided the children and organized them to perform “call and response”, “drum circle freeze” and “drum jam” on the drums.
The children in the group who participated in the drum circle with their friends were girls who attended the same school and played together outside of class hours. The other group (strangers) were girls who didn’t know each other. The group of strangers had three drum circles, each with seven or four participants. Participants in the friend group had four drum circles of 3 to 5 people.
Before and after the drum circle, participants provided saliva samples so study authors could measure cortisol and oxytocin levels. They also completed assessments of quality of life (KID-KINDL), autism symptoms (Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition), anxiety (Spence Child Anxiety Scale), and depression (Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children). We also used a visual analog scale to assess emotional states before and after the drum circle.
The results showed that salivary oxytocin levels increased after a drum circle in a group of friends, but not in a group that attended a drum circle with strangers. Salivary cortisol levels did not change after the drum circle. Participants’ ratings of happiness and relaxation improved significantly after the drum circle in the stranger group, but remained unchanged in the friend group. However, after the activity, the overall mean emotion scores were high and similar between the two groups.
“Our current data suggest that facilitated drum circle participation with friends may lead to increased OT (oxytocin) levels in children and that pre-existing bonds may influence neuroendocrinological responses,” the study authors concluded.
This study contributes to the scientific understanding of the physiological effects of social activities. However, it is important to note that this study was conducted on a small group of elementary school girls. Results for other age and demographic groups may vary.
The paper, “Differences in oxytocin responses between groups of friends and groups of strangers after facilitated drum circle activities,” was authored by Mitsuru Kikuchi, Sanae Tanaka, Kazumi Furuhara, Haruhiro Higashida, and Chiharu Tsuji.
