Measuring elements of reality testing in the musical behaviors of adult schizophrenics: a pilot study

Abstract: The present study examines the degree of reality testing as shown in the musical behaviors of adult schizophrenics. Ten schizophrenics from a large urban state hospital and ten graduate students, from an urban university were chosen for this study. Each participant was administered 45 questions (pertaining to reality testing) from the Bell Object-Relations-Reality Testing Inventory (BORRTI). Reality testing in musical behaviors was studied by engaging each participant in three short musical activities using the Reality-Testing in Musical Behaviors Scale (which was developed for this research). Each participant was asked to play a xylophone during the first activity and a percussive instrument for the last two activities, along with pre-recorded piano music and rhythmic drumming. The musical production of each subject was rated, using cassette-tape recordings. Two raters examined the rhythm, tempo, dynamics and melody, for synchrony with the prerecorded music. The hypothesis that scores of reality testing as measured by the Reality Testing in Musical Behaviors Scale would correlate with the scores on the reality testing (including scores of Reality Distortion, Uncertainty of Perception, and Hallucinations and Delusions) from the BORRTI, was not supported. The Pearson r showed that a correlation of scores of reality-testing on the BORRTI and scores on the RTMBS was not statistically significant. The Pearson r also revealed that interrater reliability was not statistically significant. Thus, findings are difficult to assess. Poor interrater reliability may have been due to the problems with the rating system in the RTMBS and the use of audio equipment which didn't afford the raters the opportunity to hear small differences in dynamic changes in the subjects' musical behaviors. An independent t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups on total scores on the RTMBS. An analysis of variance of the musical elements revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups on scores of rhythm and tempo. It was concluded that further research may reveal that synchrony of schizophrenics and normals musical behaviors, including timbre, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and melody with pre-recorded, or live music, may indicate elements of reality-distortion, uncertainty of perception, and hallucinations and delusions existing in an individual. It was also concluded that further investigation may reveal between groups differences in musical behaviors.

Keyword(s): Reality-testing, musical-behavior, adult, schizophrenic, Bell-object-relations-reality-testing-inventory.

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