• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.31-48
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• 2016

This study investigated how music therapists perceive the professionalism of the profession. A total of 98 certified music therapists completed the online survey for a 46.7% response rate, and 78 questionnaires were included in the analysis after excluding incomplete responses. The results of this study demonstrated that music therapists show a high level of standards for music therapy professionalism in general. Meanwhile, the respondents gave their lowest rating on the perception of their occupation as a social service addressing the needs of society. The majority of respondents rated the level of their professionalism as high and they tended to identify individual competency as the most important factor. Also, there were significant differences in perceived professionalism depending on the length of clinical practice and level of education. These results indicate that the quality of training may contribute to a high level of perception on professionalism. Also, lower levels of perception on social aspects of the professionalism support the need for continuing education to broaden the understanding of professionalism. Given the importance of professionalism in enhancing the quality of care for clients and expanding the profession, further studies were suggested to increase understanding of the music therapy professionalism and propose strategies for maintaining the professionalism of music therapists.