The use of music in social work treatment: a perceptual study of social worker and patient interest in the use of music in treatment at Patton State Hospital

The purpose of this investigation was to learn more of the perceptions of social workers and patients at Patton State Hospital concerning the role of music in the treatment program of a state mental hospital. The nature of the study was a perceptual one, Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary defined perception as "the receiving of an. impression through the senses. For purposes of this study, perception carried a finer meaning: of emotion, thought process, and patterns of response to past experiences. According to Tagiuri and Petrollo, perception "has its roots in the individual’s pursuit of meaning." It was in this connection that the perceptions of social workers and patients were sought. The past experience of individuals who participated in this study in terms of music and the meanings ascribed to these experiences were seen as significant to the value they placed on music.