North American drama therapists’ attitudes toward research

Abstract

Research production in the profession of drama therapy has increased significantly, focusing on developing an evidence-base. While these efforts have been forwarded by a select group of researchers, attitudes throughout the community toward research have yet to be investigated. If drama therapy is to grow, increasing research efforts and establishing a collective research agenda is a priority; improving or leveraging associated attitudes is critical to this endeavor. In the present research an anonymous non-experimental cross-sectional quantitative online survey was utilized to gather attitudes toward research among student and professional North American drama therapists (N = 166). Respondents completed a modified version of the Revised-Attitudes Toward Research Scale. They also provided qualitative responses about any publishing experiences. Descriptive percentages and non-parametric analyses were used to analyze responses across and within the sample. Results demonstrated that, generally, drama therapists feel positive and believe research is useful, although some maintained negative attitudes. Group differences were found between those in training and/or with minimal research experience compared to those further in their career and/or had more experience, with the latter reporting more positive attitudes. Recommendations are offered to address contextual factors leading to negative attitudes so research engagement can yield benefits for all community members.