[Auditive analysis (a new method in group psychotherapy research]

The principle of auditive analysis is that the type and degree of different emotional states expressed in the voices of the mentally ill are analyzed as accurately as possible. Patients receiving group centred non-directive treatment were examined by this method and the results were compared with those obtained by sociometric tests. It was found that patients, and also psychotherapists, with high standards of auditive ability were accepted into the group and were popular, whereas persons with poor auditive ability were rejected by the group. Experiments with the same method in the GDR yielded the same results as in the USSR. The application of this method as a means of checking the success of training in group centres non-directive therapy is being considered.