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Revista Brasileira de Musicoterapia ISSN 2316-994x Brazilian Journal of Music Therapy ISSN 2764-5541

Research-based papers

ANO XXVII – NÚMERO 40 – 2025

Music Therapy and/or music in the training of verbal operants:: A scoping review

DOI
https://doi.org/10.51914/brjmt.40.2025.458
Submitted
June 20, 2025
Published
09-06-2026

Abstract

This research investigates the extent of evidence on the use of music and/or music therapy as a therapeutic intervention for the development of verbal behaviors. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol and the methodology recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), studies published between 1960 and 2024 were analyzed, encompassing different age groups and clinical conditions. Studies were included if their title or abstract contained the terms "music" and/or "music therapy," "verbal behavior" and/or "behavior analysis," and "echoic" or "intraverbal," in English, Portuguese, or Spanish. A total of five studies were included. Musical interventions proved effective in enhancing communicative skills, reducing verbal response time, and promoting gains in motor and behavioral skills. The findings support the relevance of music as a therapeutic tool in teaching verbal behaviors, while also highlighting gaps such as the need for greater involvement of music therapists in research, standardization of methodologies, and longitudinal studies to assess long-term effects.

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