Document Type
Thesis
Date of Degree Completion
Summer 2017
Degree Name
Education Specialist (Ed.S.)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair
Stephanie Stein
Second Committee Member
Heidi Perez
Third Committee Member
Bret P. Smith
Fourth Committee Member
Richard Marsicano
Abstract
Limited empirical support presently exists for the use of music as a behavioral intervention for students with disabilities. The purpose of this research was to study whether the social behaviors of children enrolled in a developmental preschool classroom changed in response to live piano music. The principal investigator hypothesized an increase in dyadic and/or other group-oriented play in the presence of live piano music, compared to when no piano music played. This eight-week study used a single-subject, A-B-A-B-C withdrawal design and a 30-second partial interval sampling procedure to sequentially observe and analyze the frequency of six operationally defined behaviors among nine students, ages three and four years. Visual analyses revealed largely insignificant effects and high data variability. Noteworthy behaviors were proximity-based play, play in the presence of an adult, and solitary play behaviors. Limits to the present study and suggestions for future research were discussed.
Recommended Citation
Hull, Christopher, "Piano Music as a Behavioral Intervention at the Ellensburg, WA Developmental Preschool" (2017). All Master's Theses. 735.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/735
Language
English