• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.47-60
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to examine the musical preference of autistic children. Based on the written responses of the questionnaire from mothers, therapists and teachers of 60 autistic children the music preference of the autistic children were analyzed. The results showed that the autistic children prefer music listening rather than playing or singing. The keyboard and piano are the most preferred instruments by these children. In music genre they prefer children's song and commercial music. Though they all have language disorder, they have a strong tendency toward music with text. It was also found that there is a relationship between music preference and behavior. The hyperactive and oppositional children have a tendency to enjoy more stimulative music compared to other autistic children.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.73-84
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• 2004

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.77-89
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• 2006

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.55-77
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to identify current trends in music therapy literature in Korea in order to provide the groundwork for future research. Therefore, 122 articles from the Korean Journal of Music Therapy (KJMT) from 1999 to 2012 and 76 articles from the Journal of Music and Human Behavior (JMHB, formerly known as Korean Journal of Music Therapy Education) from 2004 to 2012 were analyzed. Analysis was performed by identifying the frequency and percentage of the following items: type, population, topic, and methodology of published articles. In addition, the results obtained were compared and contrasted between these two publications. Overall, it was found that there was a high prevalence of descriptive studies (KJMT, 46%,; JMHB, 45%), applied research (KJMT, 51%; JMHB 66%), and quantitative studies (KJMT, 82%; JMHB 37%). In addition, ordinary people with no particular diagnosis were the most often studied population (34%). Differences were found in that a historical study was only found in KJMT whereas a philosophical study was published only in JMHB. Further analysis revealed that JMHB included a higher proportion of applied research than KJMT. In KJMT, quantitative research was appeared twice as often as qualitative and mixed-method research combined. On the other hand, a similar number of each of the three methodological types of studies appeared in JMHB. In conclusion, this study indicates that more effort should be made to increase the quantity and improve the quality of professional publications in the field of music therapy in Korea.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.67-83
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• 2013

Assessment in music therapy is a vital part for both the therapist and client in the process of therapy. Based on what is assessed, objectives are identified to formulate specific action procedures and strategies. The existing assessment tools involve lists of skills and behaviors in developmental domains without the music assessment protocol. In this study, the authors attempted to develop an assessment protocol using rhythm production for assessing skills in cognitive and emotional-behavior domain, namely Music Therapy Assessment for Cognitive and Emotional Behaviors (MACEB). The test items of the MACEB-Rhythm were developed using rhythmic patterns varying in terms of item difficulty, which are based on the various degree of clarity in the grouping/gestalt, saliency in part-whole relationship, and complexity in repetition vs. variability. Also the developed tool purported to examine one's level of emotional behavior trait by analyzing performance of musical parameters such as tempo, pacing, and loudness in the reproduced output. In order to verify the logical sequencing of test items, firstly 61 subjects participated in verifying the item difficulty for the selected 15 pilot items. The test items were revised and re-sequenced based on the gathered scores of item difficulty. In the second procedure, seven experts in the fields of music education, music therapy and music psychology whose research interest lie in music cognition revised the developed rhythm protocol items focusing on learning sequence, cognitive process and feasibility for skills assessment. The study attempted to provide foundations for using rhythm as an assessment protocol prior to its verification of assessment validity and reliability.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.69-87
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• 2024

This study investigated whether joint attention response behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) change in response to musical cues and reinforcing stimulus, and compared them with neurotypically developing (NT) children. The participants included 13 children with ASD and 14 NT children aged between 3 to 5 years. The study established six task conditions, involving cues (verbal vs. musical) for responding to joint attention (RJA) behaviors and reinforcing stimulus (verbal vs. sound vs. musical) for social referencing behaviors. These tasks were presented 12 times with two repetitions each. The results of the study showed that providing musical cues during the RJA phase increased levels of RJA in children with ASD, consistent with prior studies. Subsequently, musical reinforcing stimuli increased the frequency of social referencing behaviors in these children. This indicates that musical stimuli can extend beyond mere sensory cues, helping individuals to understand and respond to social and emotional cues from others. Moreover, these musical stimuli could serve as effective social reinforcement factors for this population.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.1-14
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of violin learning as to enhance the attention span and impulsiveness of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). Three children with ADHD, grade 2, 3, 4 were selected to participate in the research. A total of 15 session were given during 8 week time span, including a final performance session. For measurement, Korean-Child Behavior Checklist(K-CBCL), Home Situation Questionnaire-Revised (HSQ-R), Conners Teacher Rating Scale-Revised (CTRS-R) were administered before and after the implementation. Other behavioral checklist were used to record inappropriate or interruptive behaviors. The results showed that violin learning has increased attention span and reduced impulsive behaviors of all three children with ADHD. Along with these changes, the identified inappropriate behaviors reduced as sessions progressed. Also the changes observed within the music environment were generalized to non-music environment, such as family and school. These results also indicate that violin can be a therapeutic medium used in music therapy setting to bring positive changes for children with ADHD problems.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.19-43
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• 2021

The purpose of this case study was to examine whether an interactive music-making intervention using GarageBand was applicable to improve the social communication skills of school-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Two children with ASD (both male, ages = 8 and 11 yrs.) participated in this study. The interactive music-making intervention included three stages: 1) musical imitation, 2) musical expression and coordination, and 3) musical interaction. Each session lasted 40 minutes, and sessions took place twice a week over 4 weeks. The participants' social communication behaviors were observed and analyzed in terms of exchanging ideas with each other. Engagement in interactive behaviors (e.g., turn-taking, imitating or reflecting the investigator's music, and creating one's own music using the motive from the investigator) during music making was also analyzed. During the sessions, increases in the attempts to express their opinions on music making processes and requests for help for the process were observed. Engagement in turn-taking form of interactive playing and reflecting the musical motive from a partner (i.e., investigator) were also improved. The Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2) ratings indicated negative social behaviors decreased after intervention in both participants. The findings of this study suggest that interactive music-making activities using GarageBand can be an effective method in clinical practice to improve social communication skills for school-aged children with ASD.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-71
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• 2004

Students with learning disability have difficulty with attention and academic achievement Music can be an effective tool to enhance level of participation. The purpose of this study is to examine how much can be structured to enhance the attention span and related academic skills needed to achieve educational goals. The study has implemented structured music therapy sessions for three middle school students with learning disability. They participated in 20 sessions which were 30 minutes in length for ten weeks. The implemented music therapy sessions were designed using songs, playing, and listening to music. In order to test their level of attention, Frankfurter Aufmerksamkeits-Inventar(FAIR) Attention Test is implemented and Conners' Comprehensive Teacher's Rating Scale(CTRS-10) are used on the week before and after music activities. Also videotaping is used so as to analyze how correctly they do their task and how the correctness is changed period by period and to evaluate how often for ten minutes they make an eye contact with their teacher. The conclusions of this study are as follows: Firstly, the organized music activities have a positive affection on improving the attention of three middle school students who have learning disabilities. Fair Attention Test shows that they can do their task with more accuracy than in the previous period. Secondly, three students of this study improved their attention and made an eye contact more often than before this study, which is revealed through the analysis of the pre and post test results evaluated by CTRS-10. The results of the study indicate that structured use of music in various level of activities can help students to enhance attention span and the related academic skills.

• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.27-53
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• 2022

The purpose of this case study was to construct a social context-based musical play program for children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) and to examine its applicability in improving the social skills of the children. The participants were a group of three children with high-functioning ASD with an average age of 9 years. The children participated as a group in 40-minute sessions that were implemented twice a week for 8 weeks. The children's social communication behaviors were observed during the sessions and analyzed in terms of sharing and exchanging their ideas and voluntarily interacting with peers and an adult (i.e., the researcher). The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) was completed by the teachers of participants before and after the intervention. For all three participants, the occurrence of behaviors to exchange their ideas with peers and voluntarily interacting with an adult increased following the intervention. However, there were individual differences between the participants in terms of changes in each target behavior depending on their level of language and social skill development. These results suggest that social context-based musical play program may produce positive changes in voluntary communication with peers and play a significant role in expanding the scope of interventions that target the social communication of children with ASD.