{"title":"Sociocultural trends in music therapists’ clinical music choices","authors":"Kendall Joplin","doi":"10.1016/j.aip.2025.102268","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research has shown that sociocultural identities impact musical preferences and values in the general population. However, there is a dearth of literature investigating if similar impacts are seen in music therapists’ clinical music decisions. As healthcare professionals bound to do no harm to clients, music therapists should investigate if bias impacts clinical decision-making in music therapy sessions. The researcher conducted a survey with <em>N</em> = 288 music therapists to identify their top five self-chosen songs for use in clinical music therapy sessions. The music therapists’ demographic information was compared to the demographic information of the musical artists they listed in the survey to determine if there are trends between the two. Disparities of representation in chosen musical selections showed potential relationships based on music therapists’ gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity, religion, dis/ability identity, level of education, and the age of the participants. Future research should explore each component more in-depth to determine the statistical relationship between music therapists’ sociocultural identities and the music they self-select for use in music therapy sessions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":47590,"journal":{"name":"Arts in Psychotherapy","volume":"93 ","pages":"Article 102268"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Arts in Psychotherapy","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197455625000218","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Research has shown that sociocultural identities impact musical preferences and values in the general population. However, there is a dearth of literature investigating if similar impacts are seen in music therapists’ clinical music decisions. As healthcare professionals bound to do no harm to clients, music therapists should investigate if bias impacts clinical decision-making in music therapy sessions. The researcher conducted a survey with N = 288 music therapists to identify their top five self-chosen songs for use in clinical music therapy sessions. The music therapists’ demographic information was compared to the demographic information of the musical artists they listed in the survey to determine if there are trends between the two. Disparities of representation in chosen musical selections showed potential relationships based on music therapists’ gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ identity, religion, dis/ability identity, level of education, and the age of the participants. Future research should explore each component more in-depth to determine the statistical relationship between music therapists’ sociocultural identities and the music they self-select for use in music therapy sessions.
期刊介绍:
The Arts in Psychotherapy is a dynamic, contemporary journal publishing evidence-based research, expert opinion, theoretical positions, and case material on a wide range of topics intersecting the fields of mental health and creative arts therapies. It is an international peer-reviewed journal publishing 5 issues annually. Papers are welcomed from researchers and practitioners in the fields of art, dance/movement, drama, music, and poetry psychotherapy, as well as expressive and creative arts therapy, neuroscience, psychiatry, education, allied health, and psychology that aim to engage high level theoretical concepts with the rigor of professional practice. The journal welcomes contributions that present new and emergent knowledge about the role of the arts in healthcare, and engage a critical discourse relevant to an international readership that can inform the development of new services and the refinement of existing policies and practices. There is no restriction on research methods and review papers are welcome. From time to time the journal publishes special issues on topics warranting a distinctive focus relevant to the stated goals and scope of the publication.