Features of music perception by persons with addictive behaviour

Abstract

Introduction. Early detection of the person’s mental dependence on psychotropic substances enables timely correction of deviations in his/her behavior. Given the symptom of the anosognosy, the search for projective methods for determining the presence of mental dependence is required. Certain personality features that determine dependence can be reflected in the perception of music.

Aim. The goal of the research was to determine the connecting features of the perception of music with the presence of the person’s mental dependence on psychotropic substances.

Material and methods. The study involved students aged 18-19. There were 50 students in the standard group. The experimental group consisted of another 50 students with addictive behavior. They were of the same age and were patients in the centers of medical and social rehabilitation. For the study of personal qualities, the following methods were applied: the method of determining

the level of subjective control by J. Rotter, the method of narrative by N. Chepeleva, the frustration test by Rosenzweig and six specially created musical fragments which represented a certain musical discourse.

Results. An analysis of the selection of the musical fragments by students and individuals with addictive behavior has shown that there are statistically significant differences. Students, in comparison with those with addictive behavior, have mature social concept of “I-concept”, and this fact underlies the fact that they give the highest ratings to classical music. An empirical study has shown the connection between the the first stage selection of musical fragments that have certain psychological content and the presence of dependence on psychotropic substances.

Conclusions. Musical discourse, due to the specific influence on the emotional sphere of a person, causes a certain response, relevant to its personality properties. The connection of psychological peculiarities of persons with addictive behavior and their perception of music is established: their emotional mood corresponds to music of a destructive character, which symbolizes aggression and has a dangerous influence on the mental state of a person. We defined musical discourses, the content of which can serve as stimulating material for determining certain personal characteristics that indicate the dependence on psychotropic substances.