Course Description

This course will consider music perception and cognition from three perspectives: the evolutionary origins of music; the emotional power of music; and links between musical and non-musical skills and activities. These three perspectives will be examined in lectures and open discussions that address the topics in Chapters 2, 6, and 10 from "Music, Thought, and Feeling: Understanding the Psychology of Music" (Oxford University Press).

In the first half of the workshop we will consider the connection between music and other cognitive abilities. Although music seems very different from other human activities, such as speaking, eating, planning, walking, and problem solving, it is often claimed that musical ability is strongly related to other skills or traits such as mathematical ability, spatial ability, verbal competence, and general intelligence. Is there empirical evidence to support such claims? We will critically evaluate the existing evidence and consider a range of potential benefits of musical engagement, including the effects of music training on an important constellation of cognitive processes known as executive function.

In the second half of the workshop we will consider the origins and affective nature of music. First we will consider theories of the origins of music. The mind consists of many skills and abilities that are crucial to our lives, such as seeing, hearing, speaking, grasping, walking and interacting in multiple ways with other people and with the environment. Many of these skills evolved because they were crucial to survival and reproduction for our ancestors, and are considered "adaptations". Can adaptive benefits be attributed to musical skills and activities? Listening to music may be enjoyable but can arguments be made that it actually "evolved" because it solved problems of survival for ancestral populations? We will consider a number of theories on this question, including the view that music is not an adaptation but a human invention that we nonetheless use for our benefit in a range of ways.

Next, we will consider the impact of music on the emotions, drawing on theories and findings from psychology, philosophy, musicology, and performance. We will critically evaluate some of the leading theories of this link, evaluate empirical data on the subject, and discuss potential mechanisms that underlie the emotional effects of music. Drawing from recent findings in cognitive neuroscience, we will then discuss a possible framework that attempts to synthesize theories and data on the emotional power of music.

By the end of this workshop, participants will have a strong understanding of some of the most intriguing questions motivating the field, and will be able to critically evaluate the many claims about music that are so often found in popular media outlets. More importantly, participants will have the knowledge and understanding needed to propose important new investigations that have the potential to make genuine scientific advances in this rapidly evolving field.

Ilie, G. & Thompson, W.F. (2006). A comparison of acoustic cues in music and speech for three dimensions of affect. Music Perception, 23, 319-329. [pdf]

Thompson, W.F., Graham, P., & Russo, F.A. (2005). Seeing music performance: Visual influences on perception and experience. Semiotica, 156(1/4), 203-227. [pdf]