AUDIO-CUEING AND IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK TO IMPROVE GROUP LEADERSHIP SKILLS - A LIVE SUPERVISION MODEL

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of audio-cueing and immediate feedback on the leadership skills of student music thera pists. The study consisted of four substudies using the same dependent and independent variables, and similar designs with variation in the amount of time spent in baseline, treatment, and return-to-baseline ph ases. A total of 12 student therapists participated in this study, whi ch lasted approximately 4 months. The independent variable was instruc tor feedback, delivered to the student therapist by way of an earpiece attached to a wireless receiver which was concealed under the student 's clothing. The feedback consisted of verbal approvals or disapproval s for specific interventions, general encouragement for session progre ss, and directions for immediate action. The dependent measure was the Standley Group Activity Leadership Skills Checklist. Subscores can be calculated in four areas: personal skills, general session skills, mu sic skills, and client responses. The supervisor used the checklist, w hile viewing the videotapes, to evaluate the progress of each student therapist. Results from this study do not show a clear enough distinct ion between the pattern of the baseline scores and the students' score s during treatment to make conclusions about the effects of the treatm ent interventions, since there was no immediate or dramatic change fro m baseline to treatment scores when the intervention was applied. The students did improve in the areas of giving specific approvals to clie nts, helping the clients participate in the activities, and in body pr oximity to the clients when they were given immediate feedback from th e supervisor. These important skills can be enhanced and reinforced th rough live supervision techniques.