The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music: Does it Reduce Anxiety in the General Toronto Population

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the Bonny Method of guided imagery and music reduces anxiety in the general Toronto population. Per the G-Power(TM) analysis, each group contained 34 participants gathered through convenient and snowball sampling. The control group received no intervention for 45 minutes. The experimental group received a 45-minute music therapy intervention administered by a certified music therapist. Participants were18 years of age and older. Exclusion criteria included severe medical or psychological impairment and deafness. The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music was the type of music therapy intervention used in this study. This intervention aligned with the parameters of somatic psychology, as it incorporated cognitive and somatic applications. The physiological components of anxiety were measured by a certified nurse before and after the intervention. The psychological symptoms of anxiety were measured pretest and posttest using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The measurements gathered in the experiment were analyzed using independent t tests. One set of t tests was run to assess the internal validity of the random assignment. The results showed that the random assignment was effective. Another set of t tests was run to assess the differences between change scores of all dependent variables for both groups. Results showed that there was not a statistically significant difference between groups. The null hypothesis was correct. The results of the intake survey showed that participants who practiced meditation and/or cardiovascular exercise were effective in decreasing anxiety symptoms, regardless of the treatment intervention.