The effect of behavioral music therapy on the generalization of interpersonal skills from sessions to the regular classroom by emotionally handicapped middle school students

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a specific music therapy treatment program on student interpersonal behavior demonstrated in group sessions and in unaletered classrooms. Subjects included 25 emotionally handicapped middle school students ages 11 to 16 (M = 13.1). A comparison of three subject groups was made: (1) subjects receiving ,usic therapy structured to target selected behaviors, (2) subjects receiving general music therapy, and (3) subjects in a no-contact control classroom. A changing criterion design was developed based on the selected behavior taught, monitored, and reinforced. A token economy system was established to reinforce students for demonstrating that week's targeted behavior in the classroom and in music therapy sessions. During each group's final session, students used tokens to purchase preferred roles in a music video. Experimental subject scores for classroom behavior were almost twice as stable as scores for control subjects. A mean level of on-task behavior of 83.1% was demonstrated by experimental subjects during music therapy sessions with a majority of this on-task behavior occurring during music intervals. Results showed that only the experimental subjects demonstrated consistently high levels of appropriate classroom behavior. This evidence of behavioral generalization paired with information provided by teacher surveys indicates that these students gained greater emotional stability as a result of the experimental music therapy treatment program.

Keyword(s): Behavioral, interpersonal-skills, generalization, emotionally-handicapped, adolescents.

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