The Ice-Breaker Effect

Be honest. How many of you hear the word ‘ice-breaker’ and immediately feel panicked? You’re not alone. Ice-breakers can be anxiety producing, simply because we often do not know what to expect. Will I need to be interesting? Funny? Try something I have never done before? Who knows! 

This explains why I felt so satisfied when I came across a research study in which the authors examine the effect of singing on a large group of strangers. Pearce et al. (2015) followed groups of adult education classes over a period of seven months. Group members were not previously known to one another and included the activities of singing, crafts, and creative writing. Participants rated their feelings of closeness with the group and their affect after one month, three months, and seven months. Although all three groups experienced similar bonding after seven months, the singing group demonstrated significantly higher levels of closeness after one month. The authors call this the ‘ice-breaker’ effect and propose that singing is a way for unfamiliar individuals to quickly develop cohesion and cooperation. 

Consider a time in which you sang with people you did not know very well–maybe at a concert, at a birthday party, or in a religious setting. Can you remember how you felt? There is something unique and special about singing with other people without instruction, without direction, and without a specific outcome in mind. It does bond us in some way, and it truly can break the ice. 

As leaders (music therapists, teachers, coaches, supervisors), it is so important to give the ‘why’ behind what we are asking others to do. So the next time you need to facilitate an ice-breaker, lean on this study, give the why, and try singing! Your group will be more closely bonded because of it. 

Pearce, E., Launay, J., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2015). The ice-breaker effect: singing mediates fast social bonding. Royal Society Open Science, 2(10), 150221. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.150221