The "euphoria" effect of music videos--a study of the reception of music with visual images

An attempt is made to study the impact of visual information on the perception of music by employing (rock) music videos as stimuli. Forty music videos were presented to judges, who either saw the video or only heard the respective pieces of music. They had to judge the emotions conveyed via the piece of music/video on scales and their overall impression on semantic differential scales. Results indicate that visual information as presented in music videos has considerable effects on impressions: When pieces of music are presented as music videos, more positive emotions are attributed, while presentation of the pieces of music alone resulted in more negative emotion attributions. Thus, music videos seem to "euphorize" the recipient. Furthermore, video presentation compared to presentation of music alone evoked more intense "complexity/interest" as well as "activity" judgments, while "evaluation" judgments were not influenced by the medium of presentation. In addition, a number of presentation factors (like the speed of the music or the number of cuts in the videos) do influence impressions. This leads to the conclusion that researchers should pay more attention to such microcharacteristics of stimuli. In general, the effects found to be due to the medium of presentation are independent of the effects on judgments due to content (i.e., presentation factors).     

Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia in a community clinic: a benchmarking study

This study used a benchmarking strategy to investigate the transportability of cognitive behavioural group therapy (CBGT) for social phobia to a community mental health clinic. The influence of common exclusion criteria on effect sizes was also examined. Patients (N=153) attended seven 4-h sessions of CBGT, which resulted in significant reductions in symptoms of social anxiety and depression. Effect sizes compared favourably to previous efficacy and effectiveness studies of both group and individual treatment. More than half of the treatment completers achieved reliable change. One-third achieved clinically significant change (CSC) on the Social Phobia Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, but fewer achieved CSC on the Social Interaction and Anxiety Scale. Restricting the sample on the basis of depression symptoms, age above or below 50 years, comorbidity, alcohol problems, or student status did not significantly moderate effect sizes for social anxiety. It is concluded that CBGT is effective within community mental health clinics.     

Meditative dialogue: tuning in to the music of family therapy

Meditative dialogue is a mindfulness method through which families and their therapists are able to access the present moment and develop acceptance, non‐judgmental attitudes and attunement with one another and with the music that is always present in their lives. This process can be used to deepen empathic connections, tap into creative forces and loosen and encourage embodied and flexible interactions that alter patterns and cultivate openness to possibility and to change.     

"I'm not the only one!" group therapy with older children and adolescents who have learning disabilities

Children and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) are vulnerable to psychosocial difficulties. Both the detrimental impact of LD on social adjustment and the significance of peer relations for developmental needs make group therapy a natural intervention. Despite modifications that are required due to their cognitive deficits, many students with LD fit the criteria and can benefit from group psychotherapy. In this paper, a model of group therapy for older children and adolescents with LD is presented. The approach is informed by a combination of self psychology, mutual aid, and interpersonal group therapy. The leaders use special techniques to accommodate the LD and to foster the group process. Examples are presented to illustrate the approach.     

Too close for comfort: the impact of dual relationships on group therapy and group therapy training

The healing power of psychodynamically oriented therapy and training groups rests, to a large degree, upon the quality of the here and now interactions. For the work to be effective, the basic principles of analytic group work need to be followed, including the observance of no extra-group contact. Simply said, nothing leaves the room. This principle has both ethical and clinical implications. It is my premise that while some forms of outside contact between members are relatively benign, other types are not. Outside contact that is built into the fabric and context of the group may pose a risk, as may be the case where dual relationships exist between members. The impact of dual relationships between group members in the particular instance of analytic training institutes is the focus of this article. What happens to the transference in this context when members reveal too much of their personal lives to each other through dual relationships is explored. It is suggested that extra-group contact can disrupt the balance between reality and transference distortion in group interactions in at least three ways: (a) "The Emperor's New Clothes" effect, (b) looping, and (c) gaslighting. Vignettes are presented to illustrate these phenomena and suggestions for reform are offered.     

"Come on, Jack, tell us about yourself": the growth spurt of group psychotherapy

Group psychotherapy evidenced a growth spurt in the decade of the 1930s and prior to World War II. Following upon the pioneering efforts of the psychoeducators (Pratt, Marsh, Lazell) and the writings of the early analysts (Freud, Adler, Dreikurs, Burrow), the next wave of practitioners and theorizers popularized and expounded the use of the group treatment modality in hospitals, clinics, and private practice. A review of the seminal ideas and efforts of Jacob Moreno, Louis Wender, Paul Schilder, Lauretta Bender, Alexander Wolf, and Samuel Slavson continues the historical overview begun earlier in this journal (Ettin, 1988). In a continuing effort to call up the wisdom of the past in the service of the work of the present, the emphasis in this paper will be on practical application. Representative quotes will be embedded in the text to capture the tenor of the times, and special attention will be given to (1) theoretical underpinnings such as the proposed advantages, curative variables, and therapy goals of a group treatment; (2) the basic logistics of practice, including optimum group size, composition, membership and exclusion criteria, and length, frequency, and structure of the meetings; and (3) technical considerations, such as the role of the therapist and the techniques, procedures, and processes of the ongoing group endeavor, as well as the interface between individual and group sessions. In conclusion, it will be argued that group psychotherapy matured just in time to respond to the pressing need for efficient mental treatment mandated by the coming of the Second World War.     

Effects of the medical resonance therapy music in the complex treatment of epileptic patients

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Medical Resonance Therapy Music (MRT-Music) as a psycho-physiological method for the treatment of epilepsy in severe epileptic patients, whose attacks persevered despite comprehensive drug treatments. Under investigation were frequency and severity of epileptic attacks, the subjective state, the dynamics of the inter-paroxysmal symptoms and the individual parameters of the functional asymmetry of the brain (IPFA). Frequency and severity of the paroxysms changed positively in 80 percent of the cases: frequency of attacks were reduced by 75 percent and many attacks manifested in the form of abortive variants. The paroxysmal component, the degree of amnesia and the polymorphism of the attacks were reduced. Such positive changes were 4 times less frequent in the control group. Changes in subjective state were 90 percent positive: the patients felt more healthy, were calmer, had a better mood and fewer ups and downs in mood, released tension, and reduced unrest, wrath, and irritation. The evaluation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) showed clear improvements in the inter-paroxysmal clinical picture, particularly in those paramaters that characterise the general degree of sickness, psychasthenic and paranoid traits, hypochondria, aggression and depressive states. Similar positive changes in the control group were observed two times less frequently. The changes of the IPFA-values were positive in 73.3 percent of the patients (27.8 percent in controls), had differently directed shiftings, were dependent on the initial level, and were determined by the location of the epileptic focus. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A31BB039 00004     

When the "I" looks at the "Me": autobiographical memory, visual perspective, and the self

This article presents a theoretical model of the self processes involved in autobiographical memories and proposes competing hypotheses for the role of visual perspective in autobiographical memory retrieval. Autobiographical memories can be retrieved from either the 1st person perspective, in which individuals see the event through their own eyes, or from the 3rd person perspective, in which individuals see themselves and the event from the perspective of an external observer. A growing body of research suggests that the visual perspective from which a memory is retrieved has important implications for a person’s thoughts, feelings, and goals, and is integrally related to a host of self-evaluative processes. We review the relevant research literature, present our theoretical model, and outline directions for future research.