(Dys)Functional behavior in forensic psychiatric patients: Study of analogy between music therapy and group work ¬リニ¬リニ¬リニ

Music therapy literature often assumes that reactions of clients demonstrated during music therapy show similarities with other situations. This theory is described as the theory of analogy. This study aims to explore these similarities in the context of forensic psychiatry. Forensic psychiatric patients are observed by sociotherapists for specific behavior at the living unit. These results are compared with the observations of behavior during music therapy. Twenty participants are included in the study. Scores of different observation scales are compared. With regard to verbal and dysfunctional behavior, as well as non-observed behavior, significant similarities exist. Coping, interaction and assaultive behavior showed no significant similarities. The results suggest that the theory of analogy should be applied with caution. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Musical analogy research within forensic psychiatry Due to its tendency to evoke basic emotional, cognitive, behavioral and neurological reactions in people, music in therapy can be an appropriate tool to evoke emotional, cognitive, neurological and behavioral reactions (Gabrielson, 2010; Juslin, Liljeström, Västfjäll, & Lundqvist, 2010; Peretz, 2010; Sloboda & Juslin, 2010; Thaut, 2005). Therefore music therapy is applied in a broad area of health care. Many theories on music therapy – one more explicit than the other – are built around the assumption that there are (significant) similarities between frequently occurring musical reactions and the psycho-social-emotional reactions of patients to stimuli. Musical reactions of a patient to a musical situation are hypothesized to show similarities to their non-musical (psychological) reaction in real-life events. Several studies on music therapy state that there is a similarity between reactions of a patient shown during musical The authors want to acknowledge: M. Groen (FPC Oldenkotte), E. Smit (FPC Veldzicht), and D. Kruidhof (FPC Oostvaarderskliniek) for their time and effort as