Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

14. "Parallel concepts" and the integrity/validity between quantitative and qualitative
research (p 123):
On page 123 I refer to Robson (2002) and Smeijsters (1997). Robson gives the following
rationale for using concepts associated with positivism also in qualitative studies: “The terms
‘reliability’ and ‘validity’ are avoided by many proponents of flexible, qualitative design.
Lincoln and Guba (1985, p. 294-301), for example, prefer the terms credibility,
transferability, dependability and confirmability. This line was followed in the first edition of
this text (Robson, 1993, pp. 403-07). However, this attempt to rename and disclaim the
traditional terms continues to provide support for the view that qualitative studies are
unreliable and invalid.” In other words, the discussion on these issues have developed since
the early nineties – at least in the social sciences.
Chapter 3 of Smeijsters’ book is a discussion of the same issues. Smeijsters (who came from a
positivist tradition) is on the same line of reasoning as Robson and suggests that there is no
reason to use specific concepts just because the methodologies are different. In principle, I
agree with Robson and Smeijsters, however, the specific terminology of credibility etc. seems
to be well established in qualitative music therapy research. It will be interesting to see, how
these issues are handled in the 2 nd edition of Music Therapy Research.
15. Parallels to linguistic theory when discussing Ruud, (p 125):
There should have been a note here about the parallels to linguistic theory (or semiotics, see
Ruud (1998) p. 74-76), especially as they are found explicitly in Sloboda (1985), an important
source of inspiration for Ruud’s classification. In Chapter 2 (Music, Language and Meaning)
Sloboda identifies three levels or properties of music: music as phonology, syntax, and
semantics. In Ruud’s revision a fourth level of pragmatics (social interaction) is added.
Ruud’s four-level model is – like Ferrara’s – very close to my eclectic position: The biomedical
dimension of the sound level is best addressed with fixed designs in studies of effect
(linear causality), while the experiential dimension of the sound level invite to
phenomenological explorations; the musico-linguistic level can be addressed with both fixed
designs (e.g. set analysis, Grocke’s SMMA) and flexible designs (e.g. phenomenological
descriptions); the referential level can only be studied with flexible designs (e.g. Bruscia’s
Heuristic model); and the interpersonal or pragmatic level also needs flexible designs (e.g.