Exploring the effects of guided vs. unguided art therapy methods

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2020

Authors

Ana Maria Costa (Author) Other; Rui Alves (Author) FPCEUP; São Luís Castro (Author) FPCEUP; Selene Vicente (Author) FPCEUP; Susana Silva (Author) FPCEUP

Journal

Title: Behavioral Sciences

Vol. 10 No. 3, Article 65

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00R-V3G

DOI: 10.3390/bs10030065

Abstract (EN): Art therapy has become known by its psychosocial and affective impact, but not so much by its effects on cognitive functioning. Based on a comparison between art therapy and music-making programs, we hypothesized that guided methods-dominant in music-making programs and characterized by an emphasis on execution (play the piece, produce the visual object) rather than ideation (conceive the visual object)-could boost the cognitive effects of art-making. We also hypothesized that removing ideation from the process with guided methods could decrease psychosocial/affective benefits. In order to test our hypotheses, we compared the effects of two art therapy methods on cognitive vs. psychosocial/affective domains. We implemented a short-term longitudinal study with patients with schizophrenia showing both psychosocial/affective and cognitive deficits. The sample was divided into two groups: unguided, instructed to ideate art pieces and execute them without external guidance, vs. guided, instructed to execute predefined art pieces following externally provided guidelines. There was no evidence that guided methods boost cognitive effects, since these were equivalent across groups. However, psychosocial/affective benefits were enhanced by unguided methods, suggesting that therapeutic methods can make a difference. Our study contributes to raising important new questions concerning the therapeutic mechanisms of art therapy.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 17