MUSIC MAKES THE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER: SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC LISTENING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS CULTURES By

associations such as values, due to a cognitive primacy effect (cf. Lazarus,1984). A systematic assessment of emotional and value-expressions (cf. Hevner, 1936)in played and written music preferences (and their interaction) could reveal newinsights into the concept music preference extending traditional paper-and-pen approaches (as it was used in the current thesis). Applications for intercultural communicationThis thesis underlines the ability of music to support social bonding. However,are the social functions specific to music or do other activities serve similar social functions? I was touching on this point when discussing an extension of the MUSA-VALUES model. I suggested that other value expressive attitudes may be underpinnedby similar social bonding processes as stated in the MUSA-VALUES model. Forinstance, people may assume similar values in others who have similar food preferences (e.g., vegetarians) or who engage in similar political activities (e.g., anti-nuclearprotests). These assumed shared values then foster social bonding. While otheractivities and attitudes besides music preferences may also serve the social bondingfunction, future research is required to explore the strength of such bonding potentials.