Preservice music teachers' and therapists' nonverbal behaviors and their relationship to perceived rapport

Abstract

The purpose of the two studies reported in the article was to determine whether or not a relationship exists between preservice music therapists' and teachers' nonverbal behaviors and their perceived rapport. In study 1, evaluators (N = 56) viewed a stimulus tape consisting of 15 45-second segments of 15 preservice music therapists leading songs appropriate for various groups of music therapy clientele. Evaluators then judged the preservice therapists for perceived client rapport under one of three conditions: video-only, audio-only, and audio/ video, and then provided comments regarding their evaluations. Two trained observers also viewed the stimulus tape and simultaneously recorded the preservice music therapists' use of the following nonverbal behaviors: proximity, gestures, facial affect and eye contact. Results of the data analyses and evaluator comments indicated that: (1) nonverbal behaviors most important to rapport ratings and client engagement were eye contact and the use of gestures; and (2) rapport ratings were not dependent upon nonverbal behaviors alone, but upon the verbal behaviors and musical skills of the preservice therapists' as well. To determine what behaviors beyond musicianship contribute to appraisals of rapport, evaluators (N = 78) in a follow-up study viewed 60-second segments of 10 preservice music teachers' verbal introductions to musical selections under the three conditions (audio-only, video-only, and audio/video), and again provided comments and rated the preservice teachers' perceived rapport. The video-only group assigned the highest rapport ratings for six of the 10 teachers, and significantly so for three of those six, indicating that nonverbal behaviors may play a role in the perception of teacher rapport. Findings of both studies indicate that nonverbal behaviors are important to verbal and musical behaviors in determining therapists' and teachers' rapport.

Non-verbale Verhaltensweisen von Studierenden der Musikerziehung und Musiktherapie und ihr Verhältnis zur Wahrnehmung von Beziehungen Ziel der beiden Studien war es festzustellen, ob es eine Verbindung gibt zwischen dem non-verbalen Verhalten von Studierenden der Musikerziehung und Musiktherapie und der gefühlten Beziehung zwischen ihnen und den Klienten. In einer ersten Studie sahen sich 56 Juroren ein Band mit fünfzehn Ausschnitten zu je 45 Sekunden von 15 Musiktherapiestudenten an, die verschiedene Gruppen von Musiktherapie-Patienten zum Singen anleiteten. Die Juroren bewerteten die Studierenden auf der Grundlage von drei verschiedenen Bedingungen: nur Video, nur Audio, beides kombiniert. Danach gaben sie ihre Stellungnahme ab. Zwei geschulte Beobachter sahen sich ebenfalls das Video-Band an und erfassten gleichzeitig folgende non-verbale Verhaltensweisen der Studierenden: Abstand, Gesten, Gesichtsausdruck und Blickkontakt. Die Datenanalyse sowie die Kommentare der Juroren ergaben, dass (1) non-verbale Verhaltensweisen, die äußerst wichtig sind für die Bestimmung der Beziehungsebene und das Engagement der Patienten, im Blickkontakt und in der Verwendung von Gesten liegen und dass (2) die Bestimmung der Beziehungsebene nicht nur von non-verbalen Verhaltensweisen abhängt, sondern auch von dem verbalen Verhalten und musikalischen Können der Therapeuten. Um festzustellen, welche Verhaltensweisen über die Musikalität hinaus zur Bewertung der Beziehung beitragen, sahen in einer Folgestudie 78 Juroren Ausschnitte von 60 Sekunden der sprachlichen Einführung von 10 Studierenden unter den drei genannten Bedingungen an (nur Audio, nur Video, beides zusammen). Danach gaben sie wieder ihre Bewertung über die wahrgenommene Beziehung ab. Die Video Gruppe gab die höchsten Beziehungswerte für sechs der zehn Lehrer ab, für drei der sechs sogar signifikante Werte, die darauf hinweisen, dass non-verbales Verhalten eine Rolle bei der Wahrnehmung der Lehrerbeziehung spielt. Die Ergebnisse beider Studien zeigen, dass non-verbale Verhaltensweisen auch beim verbalen und musikalischen Verhalten zum Beziehungsaufbau von Musiklehrern und Musiktherapeuten wichtig sind.

Conductas No Verbales de Estudiantes de Magisterio de Música y Musicoterapia y su Relación con el Nivel de Comunicación Percibido El propósito de estos dos estudios fue determinar si existía relación o no entre las conductas no verbales de estudiantes de Formación del Profesorado de Música y de Musicoterapia y la percepción de sus niveles de comunicación. En el primer estudio, los evaluadores (n = 56) vieron una cinta de estímulo consistente en un fragmento de 45 segundos de duración de 15 estudiantes de Musicoterapia empleando canciones apropiadas para diferentes tipos de usuarios. Analizaron a continuación sólo la imagen, luego el sonido y después los dos a la vez para valorar los niveles de comunicación percibidos entre los estudiantes y los usuarios. Además de ver la cinta de estimulación de respuesta, dos de estos observadores con formación para ello, registraron el uso de las siguientes conductas no verbales de los estudiantes de Musicoterapia: proximidad; gestos; expresiones faciales; y contacto visual. Los resultados del análisis de los datos y de los comentarios de los evaluadores indicaban que: 1) las conductas no verbales más importantes para elevar los niveles de comunicación y complicidad con el usuario fueron el contacto visual y el uso de gestos; 2) y los niveles de comunicación no dependían sólo de conductas no verbales, sino sobre todo de conductas verbales y destrezas musicales de los musicoterapeutas en prácticas. Para determinar qué comportamientos más allá de la musicalidad contribuyen a incrementar la comunicatividad, los evaluadores (n = 78) en un estudio de seguimiento vieron fragmentos de 60 segundos de duración con las presentaciones hechas por 10 estudiantes de Magisterio de Música a diferentes fragmentos musicales. Se valoraron de tres maneras: sólo audio, sólo imagen, y las dos. De nuevo se proporcionaron comentarios y se valoraron los niveles de comunicación percibidos en estos estudiantes de Magisterio de Música. El grupo que sólo vio la imagen asignó la máxima puntuación a los niveles de comunicación de seis de estos diez estudiantes y, significativamente, para tres de estos seis, dijeron que las conductas no verbales podían estar jugando un papel importante en la percepción de estos niveles de comunicación. Los resultados de estos dos estudios indican que las conductas no verbales influyen en las conductas verbales y musicales para determinar los niveles de comunicación de musicoterapeutas y profesores.

Keywords

nonverbal behaviors preservice music teachers preservice music therapists rapport

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