The Evaluation of Universitas Pelita Harapan Music Therapy Student’s Self-Confidence in Practicing Clinical Improvisation Based on Bandura’s Theory of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Self-confidence is an individual’s belief in their ability to perform a task. Self-confidence will affect an individual’s performance. Clinical improvisation is one of the most essential yet complex techniques in music therapy. The music therapist’s self-confidence in facilitating clinical improvisation will affect the therapeutic relationship and outcome during sessions. However, the factors that may affect the music therapist’s self-confidence in facilitating clinical improvisation remain unknown. According to Bandura (1997), there are four factors that may affect an individual’s self-confidence: mastery experience, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and emotional & physiological state. This research aims to evaluate whether these four factors will affect the self-confidence of seven Universitas Pelita Harapan music therapy students when facilitating clinical improvisation. This phenomenological research was done by evaluating the students’ testimonials in a structured questionnaire. Seven respondents who were the third- and fourth-year students were asked to fill in this questionnaire. The data showed that the four factors in Bandura’s theory played a role in affecting the respondents’ self-confidence when facilitating clinical improvisation.