University of Twente Student Theses

Een psychologische benadering van de Bonny method of guided imagery and music: een onderzoek naar psychologische informatieverwerkingsmechanismen en de ontwikkeling van een zelfstandige vorm van muziekpsychotherapie

Reijmer, AD (2012) Een psychologische benadering van de Bonny method of guided imagery and music: een onderzoek naar psychologische informatieverwerkingsmechanismen en de ontwikkeling van een zelfstandige vorm van muziekpsychotherapie.

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Abstract:	The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music (BMGIM) is a form of creative therapy often combined with psychotherapy in multidisciplinary teams. It is very likely that the positive effects of BMGIM, particularly on psychological distress, are a result of its strong power to realize an altered state of consciousness. This state of awareness increases the sense of inner experiences so that unconscious emotions will get conscious. It is very likely that this experience could activate the self-regulating mechanism. Positive outcomes are measured on various scales. The study in this master thesis concerns two questions. The first one is: how does psychological informationprocessing work in BMGIM and how can this insight be helpful to develop a better method. The second one concerns the methodical treatment. How can emotion, as a powerful force of behaviour change, best be treated to support the therapeutic process. Is it advisable that the integration of emotion experienced in BMGIM takes place in another, psychotherapeutic setting? Or is it more favourable to integrate both and create a self-supporting music psychotherapy. In a literature study concerning the research of music and emotion, Juslin en Västfjäll present a novel theoretical framework featuring six mechanisms through which music listening may induce emotions: (1) brain stem reflexes, (2) evaluative conditioning, (3) emotional contagion, (4) visual imagery, (5) episodic memory, and (6) musical expectancy. These mechanisms will be explained in this thesis. Theory about emotion and gestaltformation processing will be discussed. And self psychology of Kohut, which is very similar in therapeutic approach to BMGIM is introduced an will provide guidelines for integration of emotion during music listening. The qualitative study in this thesis is a multi case study. Seven music therapy students were subjects. They presented themselves voluntary and experienced a BMGIM session which was written out in a verbatim. Data collection took place by analyzing this verbatim. This study contains the following two research questions. 1. What information processing mechanisms are activated during BMGIM and how do they cooperate. 2. What is the best moment, and how can the emotion experience best be used in favour of the therapeutic process. Results show that all of the six mechanisms are present in BMGIM. Visual imagery at most, also because it is induced by other mechanisms. And the least found is apparently the most difficult to recognize mechanism evaluative conditioning. Results also reveal that the emotional experience in BMGIM is much more vivid and the listener is more capable to trace the mechanism that triggers the emotion. It can be concluded that emotional reactions do not always come from emotional contagion and can stem from all the other mechanisms as well. Taking these six mechanisms as starting point, instead of the music programs of the BMGIM, an idiosyncratic approach develops with diagnostic advantage. Because of the richer emotional experience and the easier traceability of the mechanisms during music listening it is it is recommended to continue the therapeutic process. Interventions to realize the integration of the emotions experienced can fit close to them. Self-psychology provides a fitting theory of treatment with its main aim to help the client to sense a coherent self.
Item Type:	Essay (Master)
Faculty:	BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:	77 psychology
Programme:	Psychology MSc (66604)
Link to this item:	https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/61688
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