Scientific Art Therapy: An Integrative and Research-based Approach

Abstract

The thesis of this paper is that principles of art and science can be successfully integrated to form afirmer and more socially responsible foundation for art therapy, Recent literature from a variety of research disciplines, the work of a number ofart therapists, and the author's training in both art and science aid in developing this thesis, Preliminary guidelines for systemotically incorporating a scientific perspective with art therapy are presented, and the important role research plays in constructing a combined knowledge base is emphasized. Finally, some implications for current art therapy practice are discussed, leading to fresh support for the art-as-therapy approach.

In Memoriam: Dr. Frances F. Kaplan, Editor of Art Therapy (2001–2005)

“…To prevent misunderstanding, Frances took great pains to explain herself, humbly critiquing her own research to illustrate how easily people can be fooled by data or reach for facile explanations. In her studies of how anger is expressed in drawing, for example, it was only after several replications with different age groups that she unexpectedly discovered her results were more related to age than to anger, which demonstrated the inaccuracy of her assumptions and the importance of remaining tentative in one's claims (Kaplan, 1998b). "Only when we have a body of data that largely points in the same direction can we truly feel confident that we have gained new understanding" (Kaplan, 2001, p. 143).…”

Art-based Evaluation in Research Education

“…Along with the many reasons given by Gantt (1998), Kaplan (1998), andRosal (1998), research education is important because many students begin graduate school without in-depth knowledge of how to plan or even start a research paper or how to investigate a topic, set up an experiment, or access the resources available to them. A research methods seminar can enable students to learn about all of these skills.…”