title: Viewers' perceptions of a YouTube music therapy session video.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent research revealed diverse content and varying levels of quality in YouTube music therapy videos and prompted questions about viewers' discrimination abilities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study compares ratings of a YouTube music therapy session video by viewers with different levels of music therapy expertise to determine video elements related to perceptions of representational quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one participants included 25 novices (freshmen and sophomores in an introductory music therapy course), 25 pre-interns (seniors and equivalency students who had completed all core Music Therapy courses), 26 professionals (MT-BC or MT-BC eligibility) with a mean of 1.75 years of experience, and an expert panel of 5 MT-BC professionals with a mean of 11 years of experience in special education. After viewing a music therapy special education video that in previous research met basic competency criteria and professional standards of the American Music Therapy Association, participants completed a 16-item questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Novices' ratings were more positive (less discriminating) compared to experienced viewers' neutral or negative ratings. Statistical analysis (ANOVA) of novice, pre-intern, and professional ratings of all items revealed significant differences p, .05) for specific therapy content and for a global rating of representational quality. Experienced viewers' ratings were similar to the expert panel's ratings. Content analysis of viewers' reasons for their representational quality ratings corroborated ratings of therapy-specific content.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A video that combines and clearly depicts therapy objectives, client improvement, and the effectiveness of music within a therapeutic intervention best represent the music therapy profession in a public social platform like YouTube.
authors.affiliation: Florida State University, USA.
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Lori G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Gooding
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009147:Music Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011639:Public Opinion; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy; D014741:Video Recording / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult