Predictive utility of the Computer-based Music Perception Assessment for Children (CMPAC).

A Computer-based Music Perception Assessment for Children (CMPAC) was designed and administered to 49 children (31 elementary school children; 18 hospitalized children) for the purpose of field testing and standardization. CMPAC is conceptualized as an assessment tool that yields information important to music therapists regarding children's listening and musically-related behavior: These behaviors include information on music choices and the effect of music on behavior (e.g., spontaneous singing or movement). The assessment involves children "clicking on" pictures that represent genres of children's music and listening to brief musical excerpts. Musical genres on CMPAC included songs from Sesame Street, the Animaniacs, Hap Palmer, Barney, and Disney. As part of the assessment, CMPAC generates three types of data about a child's listening behaviors: (a) the frequency with which the child listens to specific songs; (b) the duration of time the child spends listening to music; and (c) the order (or chronology) in which the child listens to specific songs. Additionally, the music therapist administering CMPAC records descriptive observations of the child's listening behavior (e.g., the child sings along to the music, the child moves during music listening, the child appears easily distracted by noises/activities in the hall, the child indiscriminately clicks [or repeatedly clicks] on a picture of music without attending to the music, etc.). Data obtained from field testing and from the clinical dispositions of 10 music therapists examining data output was subjected to statistical analysis in order to determine the predictive utility of CMPAC. Results suggest that CMPAC is a useful and valid assessment for assisting music therapists in making referral decisions for hospitalized children.