Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 12-1995 The Effects of Background Music on Initial Counseling Sessions Stella Elaine Dial Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Counseling Commons Recommended Citation Dial, Stella Elaine, "The Effects of Background Music on Initial Counseling Sessions" (1995). Dissertations. 1734. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1734 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE EFFECTS OF BACKGROUND MUSIC ON INITIAL COUNSELING SESSIONS by Stella Elaine Dial A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan December 1995 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. 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Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9616859 UMI Microform 9616859 Copyright 1996, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation could not have been possible without the help of many people. I am grateful for the professional and expert guidance from my commit­ tee chair, Dr. Joseph R. Morris, as well as committee members, Dr. John Geisler and Dr. Dennis Simpson. A special appreciation is extended to Dr. Lawrence Beer who not only pro­ vided the facilities for collection of data but also was a major cheerleader, tireless and supportive of my efforts. I want to extend heartfelt gratitude to the out­ standing therapists at Child & Family Psychological Services who donated valua­ ble time for my research: Tim Bond, Nancy Brennan, Karen Bridges, Cathy Ellis, Tim Howard, and Carman Stark. Also, thank you to my fellow doctoral students who have contributed to my life during these past few years. I am grateful to faculty and staff at Western Michigan University, especially for the technical help of Julie Scott and Julie Scrivener. Also, thank you, Alashar Waltz, for your efforts. Thank you, Bill, for your steady support. My family’s understanding when I could not always be available for them is also deeply appreciated. And, lastly, I thank David, my good friend and partner, for his patience, support and steady presence. Stella Elaine Dial ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................. ii LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................1 Historical Background of the Research Issue .............................. 2 The Importance of the Initial Counseling Session................. 2 Influential Factors .......................... 3 The Need for Positive Counseling A djuncts..........................5 Music as a Possible Counseling Enhancer ............................ 6 Background Music as a Counseling Adjunct ..........................8 Music of Mozart as a Counseling Adjunct ............................ 9 Need for Research in the F ie ld ...................................................10 Components of the Initial Counseling Session ...........................12 Statement of the Problem ........................................................... 12 Description of the S tudy ..............................................................14 Specific Research Questions, With an Accompanying Null Hypothesis for Each Q uestion ............................................ 14 Definitions of T erm s.................................................................... 19 Limitations of the Study ..............................................................20 Summary .................................................................... 20 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents-Continued CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE.................................................22 The Client-Therapist Relationship..............................................22 The Importance of the Initial Counseling Session Across Theoretical Orientations ................................................ 26 Clients’ Willingness to Return to Counseling ............................ 28 Facilitative Counseling Conditions..............................................29 Strong’s Social Influence Theory ..........................................29 Attractiveness..................................................................30 Expertness ...................................................................... 31 Trustworthiness ............................................................... 32 Counselor and Session Im pact.....................................................33 Other Therapeutic Variables .......................................................35 A ge.......................................................................................... 35 G ender....................................................................................36 Ethnicity ................................................................................. 37 Counselor Experience ........................................................... 39 Music ........................................................................................40 Music and Relationship Facilitation............................................42 Assessment of the Effects of Music in Relation to the Counseling Situation ..........................................43 Physiological ...........................................................................43 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents-Continued CHAPTER Summary ................................................................................. 45 Variables Affecting Research O utcom e ..................................... 46 General Variables ..................................................................46 Situational Influences ........................................................... 46 G ender....................................................................................47 Familiarity .............................................................................48 Preference of Music Type .....................................................48 Musical Training .................................................................... 49 A ge.......................................................................................... 49 Summary ................................................................................. 50 Selection of the Music of Mozart as the Treatment Variable in This Study .............................................. 50 Components of the Counseling Session ..................................... 52 Summary ......................................................................................54 III. METHOD ...................................................................................... 55 Participants and Setting................................................................55 Recruitment of Participants........................................................