Art Psychotherapy Volume 5 Issue 4 1978 [Doi 10.1016_2F0090-9092_2878_2990035-2] Raymond F. Luber -- Assessment of Mood Change as a Function of Poetry Therapy

8/12/2019 Art Psychotherapy Volume 5 Issue 4 1978 [Doi 10.1016_2F0090-9092_2878_2990035-2] Raymond F. Luber -- Asse

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212 RAYMOND F. LUBER

1976), the utilization of the iso-principle as a cri-terion for the selection of poems rests on the dualassumption that both the mood of patients andthe mood of poems can be reliably identified and

labeled so that they can be matched in thetherapeutic situation.Two studies have offered preliminary findings

indicating that poetic mood can be identified tosome degree. Tedford and Synott (1972) iden-tified the mood evoked by four types of poeticfeet; they concluded that meter or structure de-termines a portion of the mood evoked by a poemand should be considered in selecting material foruse in therapy. Secondly, Luber (1976) demon-strated that poems can be classified by generalmood (positive or negative) and that the identifi-cation of specific poetic moods such as anxiety,

depression, etc. is a complex and difficult taskwhich is not consistently identifiable acrossreaders. This paper reports on a study designedto investigate the interaction between poeticmood and the mood or emotional state of partici-pants in a poetry therapy group.

METHOD

Subjects

Ten subjects who were patients in the PartialHospitalization Service at Western PsychiatricInstitute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh

participated in the study. Each participant servedas his/her own control by attending five experi-mental and five control groups during a threeweek period. Demographic characteristics ofparticipants are summarized in Table 1.

rocedure

A series of five experimental (Poetry Therapy)and five control (Current Events) groups wereheld over a three week period; all subjects par-ticipated in both experimental and controlgroups. The same therapist conducted all groupsessions. Poems and current events materialused in each session were independently ratedusing 7 semantic differential scales (Osgood, Suci& Tannenbaum, 1957) to identify their positive ornegative mood. The criterion for the classificationof a poem or current events material by moodwas one standard deviation above or below themidpoint on all seven scales (see Luber, 1976, fora more detailed description). Table 2 presents theaffect or mood rating of poems and currentevents material utilized in the session; currentevents material consisted of articles taken fromnewspapers or magazines.

Rated poems and current events material wereplaced in random order and presented in alter-nate sessions during the study. In addition, inorder to assess the degree to which participantscomprehended the content or meaning of thepoetic material (misunderstanding could theoret-ically create an unintended mood in subjects), amultiple choice question was included at the endof each poem; participants were instructed tocheck the statement which best reflected themeaning of the poem. The degree of comprehen-sion for each poem is included in Table 2.

Testing rocedure

In order to assess the effect of experimental

Table 1. Demograohic Characteristics of Participants

Number of Number of DaysSex Age IQ Previous in Program Diagnosis

Hospitalizations Prior to Study

Males=3 Mean = Mean= Mean= Mean= Schizophrenia 4

Females=4 32.4 104 4 38.7 Bipolardepression 1

- Median = Median = Median= Median = Schizoaffective 1

Total=7* 34 99 4 39 Deferred 1(16-57) (80-134) (O-8) (9-W

*Complete data were available on 7 of 10 participants. Only those subjects are included in the dataanalysis.


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MOOD CHANGE AND POETRY THERAPY 213

Table 2. Affect Rating of Poems and Current Events Material

PercentMean Affect/Mood IdentifyingRating Rating Poem Meaning

Current Events 1Current Events 2Current Events 3Current Events 4Current Events 5

3.62 Neutral4.83 Neutral*4.94 Neutral*3.52 Neutral4.70 Neutral*

Man Who Chose 5.66I Can See A New Day 1.90Malleable As You Are 5.61Youve Got A Friend 1.98The Hammers 5.21

NegativePositiveNegativePositiveNegative

86%71%

100%100%71%

*Did not meet classification criterion on all rating scales.

and control material on the mood of subjects, thesame rating scales used to classify poems andcurrent events material were administered atthree points during each group session: 1) at thebeginning of each session, but prior to the distri-bution of the experimental or control mate.rial; 2)immediately following the distribution and read-ing of the material; 3) at the end of each sessionfollowing the discussion of the poem or currentevents material.

To determine the sensitivity of rating scales tomood change and to instruct participants in theuse of the scales a pilot session was conducted.In this session, imagination techniques were usedin which subjects were asked to recall the mostdisturbing and the happiest events in their lives.Following the recall of each event subjects wererequested to rate their mood using the sevensemantic differential scales. An analysis of vari-ance yielded a significant difference (F1,7=12.05, pc.025) between the two ratingsconfirming the ability of the scales to measuremood or affect changes.

RESULTSAn analysis of variance was performed on the

scores obtained at the testing points describedabove. This analysis yielded no significantdifferences between the first and second moodratings (pre-reading and post-reading) for anygroups in either the experimental or control

condition. In addition, only one significantdifference was discovered between pre-readingarid post-session mood ratings and that was inone of the control (current events) sessions (F1,6=6.07; pc.05).

DISCUSSION

It has been hypothesized that in poetrytherapy the so-called iso-principle should beutilized in selecting appropriate material for use

in treatment. This principle calls for the matchingof poetic mood with the mood of the individualhearing the poem. The iso-principle rests on thesupposition that poetic mood affects the mood ofthose participating in poetry therapy. More spe-cifically, Murphy (1973) indicates that poeticmood has the ability to induce moods in partici-pants; and Leedy (1%9b) implies that poeticmood can be influential in changing the mood ofparticipants.

The results of this study fail to support thishypothesis. No interactive effects were found be-tween poetic and participant mood. There was no

evidence that poetry per se was a tool for eitherthe induction or the changing of patient mood.Indeed, the only mood change evidencedthroughout the study was produced in one of thecontrol (current events) groups and occurredonly after the discussion portion of the group. Itmust be recognized, of course, that the small Nin this study does not permit wide generalization


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RAYMOND F. LUBER

of results. Nevertheless, in light of the total ab-sence of empirical support for the inclusion of theiso-principle in the rationale of poetry therapy,these results do suggest the necessity for further

investigation.Finally, the results of this study suggest that arationale for the use of poetry therapy must besought in an area other than that of its effect onaffect or mood. Previous investigations haveindicated the difficulty of accurately and consis-tently identifying specific poetic mood; further,when utilized in a group therapy setting the taskappears more complex since it would then betheoretically necessary to identify a group moodas well.

Other areas in which poetry may be usefulhave been suggested. Buck and Kraemer (1974)

propose that poetry may serve as a means offacilitating interpersonal interaction in the groupsetting. In addition, it has been hypothesized thatpoetry may serve as a method for assessing cog-nitive functioning, as a thematic focus for groupinteraction or as a tool in cognitive restructuringand problem solving approaches (Luber, 1975).Similarly, Heninger (1977) suggests that poetrymay serve as a catalytic agent in the stimulationof new perspectives and the ordering and re-ordering of thoughts when patients writepoems. And, finally, Lemer (1973) suggests thatpoetry can open vistas of feelings which, if

properly synthesized, may lead to positive kindsof behavior. These uses have yet to be investi-gated and remain largely conceptual and theoret-ical in nature.

However, some empirically based investiga-tions have recently appeared which may be use-ful in specifying the function of poetry in thetherapeutic setting. Most notably, Berry (1978)has reported studies related to the reading-in-crisis and/or writing-in-crisis behavior of indi-viduals and the effort to place poem selection ona more objective basis. Several suggestions ofinterest to the poetry therapist have been pro-posed as a result of these studies, including thefollowing:

1. Previous writing behavior is predictive ofwhether or not an individual will utilizeliterature in times of crises;

2. Individuals with high operant literature-reading or literature-writing levels arelikely to use therapy based on such behav-iors;

3.

4.

5.

Groups using literature should be struc-tured so that there are some members whoalready read or wrote literature prior totherapy to serve as models for other group

members;An entire poem (rather than some smallerportion) is of most importance in generat-ing interpretations and evoking feelings inreaders;A poems subjective value to the reader isrelated to the frequency with which itevoked feelings in the reader.

These studies offer at least preliminary dataregarding the function of poetry therapy as wellas the population which might most benefit fromthe utilization of the approach. It may be, indeed,as Berry suggests, that further refinements will

make it possible to accurately describe thefeeling-evocation properties of a poem. Thereremains, however, a question regarding the useof this ability. Several techniques are currentlyavailable which appear quite effective in evoking(or provoking) feelings in patients. What advan-tage(s) poetry might have over these techniques(is it more effective with certain populations,under certain treatment conditions, etc .?) has notbeen demonstrated, nor has evidence clarifiedthe role which the feeling-evocation properties ofpoetry might serve in the therapeutic situation.The study reported in this paper indicates that

this role, in all probability, does not lie in therealm of effecting patient mood, either in the in-duction or the changing of mood. Future investi-gations might, therefore, profitably consider thisquestion in greater detail.

REFERENCESALVIN J. (1%6) Music Therupy. London: John Baker, Ltd.BERGER, M. (1%9) Poetry as therapy and therapy as

poetry. In J. J. Leedy (Ed.) PoetT Therapy. Philadel-phia: Lippincott.

BERRY, F. M. (1978) Approaching poetry therapy from a sci-entific orientation. In A. Lemer (Ed.) Poetry in theTherapeuti c Experience. New York: Pergamon Press.

BUCK, L. & KRAEMER, A. (1974) Poetry as a means ofgronpfacilitation. Journal of Hum unist ic Psy chology. 14, 15-71.

EDGAR, K. F. & HAZLEY, R. (1 9) Validation of poetry asa eronn theraov technique. In J. J. Leedy (Ed.) PoerrvTher v. Phil&Jelphia: iippincott.

HENINGER, 0. E. (1977) Poetry therapy: Exploration of acreative writing maneuver. Arf Psvchotherclpy: An Inter-nuti onul Journul . 4, 390.

HERSEN, M. & LUBER, R. F. (1977) The use of grouppsychotherapy in a partial hospitalization service Theremediation of basic skill deficits. Internationrrl Journal ofGroup Psychotherupy. XXVII, 43-58.


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LEEDY, J. J (1%9a) Poet? Therapy. Philadelphia: Lippin-cott.

LEEDY, J. J. (1%9b) Principles of poetry therapy. In J. J.Leedy (Ed.) Poetv Therapy. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

LEEDY, J. J. (1973) Poetp rh e H ealer. Philadelphia: Lippin-

cott.LERNER, A. (1973) Poetry therapy. Americun Journal of

Nur sing, 73, 13361338.LUBER, R. F. (1973) Poetry helps patients express feelings,

Hospital & Community Psychiatry, 24, 384.LUBER, R. F. (1975) Poerry therapy. Paper presented to the

Conference on the Therapeutic Use of Art Forms,Pittsburgh.

LUBER, R. F. (1976) Evaluation of poetic mood with the

semantic differential. Psychologi cal Reports. 39,499-502.LUBER, R. F. (1978) Recurrent spontaneous themes in poetry

therapy. Art Psychotherapy: An In ternaiional Journal , 5,2.

LUBER. R. F. & WELLS, R. (1976) Structured, short-term

multiple family therapy: An educational approach. Inter-national Journal of Group Psychotherupy, XXV I I 43-58.

MURPHY, J. M. (1973) Foreword. In J. J. Leedy (Ed.) Poerrythe Healer. Philadelphia: Lippincott.

OSGOOD, C. E., SUCI, G. J., & TANNEBAUM, P. H. (1957) TheM eusuremenr o Meaning Urbana: University of IllinoisPress.

TEDFORD, W. H. & SYNOTT, C. S. (1972) Use of semanticdifferential with poetic forms. Psychologi cal Record, 22,36 %373.

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Art Psychotherapy Volume 5 Issue 4 1978 [Doi 10.1016_2F0090-9092_2878_2990035-2] Raymond F. Luber -- Assessment of Mood Change as a Function of Poetry Therapy