The Effects of Being the Protagonist in Psychodrama
Keywords:
assessing the effects of psychodramaAbstract
In this study, the author reports his investigation of the effects of psychodrama by quantitative methods. Twelve adults voluntarily participated in psychodrama sessions directed by the researcher and 3 other directors. They administered Yalom's Therapeutic Factor Scale (YTF), Emotion Appraisal Questionnaire (EAQ), and Session Evaluation Questionnaire (SEQ) to evaluate the effects of psychodrama. From the YTF results, the researchers concluded that the experience of the protagonist in each session was more therapeutic than that of the audience members. The changing trend of therapeutic factors before, during, and after the sessions was highest during the sessions and was reduced after the session. The most therapeutic factors were universality, family reenactment, instillation of hope, selfunderstanding, and existential factors. The protagonists experienced less negative emotions, such as disappointment and nervousness, than the audience members in the EAQ. Emotions before, during, and after the sessions were maintained. The protagonists evaluated the session outcomes more positively than the audience members. The protagonists perceived the process of the psychodrama more deeply than did the audience. The author offers suggestions for future studies.
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