What is Drama Therapy Theoretical Research?

Drama therapy theoretical research, in this project, focuses on scholarship published in peer reviewed journals, following the definition of theory of, “a set of interrelated constructs, definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining or predicting phenomena” (Kerlinger & Lee, 2000, p. 93).

Compilation of Drama Therapy Theoretical References

Drama Therapy Theoretical References

Click Here to Submit the Article Nomination Review Form

Members of the NADTA Theoretical References Updating committee or any member of the global drama therapy community may use this form to nominate research articles that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal to be added to the NADTA Theoretical references database. Inclusion/Exclusion criteria is as follows:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Centers Drama Therapy
  • Is Peer Reviewed
  • Falls within our operationalized definition of “theoretical research”
  • Theoretical Research is defined as: "A set of integrated constructs (concepts), definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of phenomena specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting the phenomena." - Kerlinger, F., & Lee, H. B. (2000). Foundations of behavioral research. New York: Harcourt. p.93

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Does not use Drama therapy as foundational theory for the article (example: speaks more about creative arts therapies in general, makes a surface-level nod to drama therapy but does not center it.
  • Book reviews
  • Book Chapters
  • Student Papers
  • Quantitative Research (automatically makes it not a theoretical article)
  • Grounded Theory Research
  • Systematic Reviews of Literature
  • Meta-analyses (these are presenting research not theories)
  • Editorials
  • Clinical Commentaries
  • Systematic/Empirical qualitative research with research subjects (other than case studies)
  • Select Case Studies

You may also use this form to recommend adjacent theoretical articles that are

  1. not published in English
  2. drama therapy with other arts modalities such as art therapy, poetry therapy, music therapy, dance/movement therapy etc.
  3. using drama or theatre processes but the theory does not reference or contextualize the work within the practice of drama therapy/dramatherapy
  4. theory that focus on psychodrama, sociodrama, theatre of the oppressed, playback theatre, or other applied theatre modalities commonly used by drama therapists but are also used outside the profession of drama therapy.

(These studies are being collected in a separate NADTA research database for future projects.)

Below are references to drama therapy empirical research, organized by theme, and collected by the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA) Research Committee.

The theoretical references in this list have been viewed by a member of the NADTA theoretical committee. The committee confirmed that the research referenced is theoretical and focuses on drama therapy or drama therapy processes/techniques.

This list can be a starting point for learning about drama therapy and drama therapy theory. Researchers may choose to use this list to identify areas of theory or research that call for further exploration, to get ideas for their own research or theory projects, and to connect their own work to previous research and scholarship.

Click Here to View the Theoretical Reference Sheet

Limitations of the Compilation of Drama Therapy Theoretical Research References 

This compilation of references is not exhaustive, and the committee has been limited by the availability of and access to original sources.

How to Get Involved

The research committee’s hope is that this list will be a growing document to which NADTA members can contribute.

The NADTA research committee welcomes your suggestions.  If you have feedback or additional references to be included, you are invited to contact the NADTA Research Chair:[email protected]