Psychology of Music current issue

Editorial

MacDonald, R. — 2008-07-01

Investigating the role of psychoticism and sensation seeking in predicting emotional reactions to music

Rawlings, D., Leow, S. H. — 2008-07-01

Recent studies have examined reactions to music within the framework of the circumplex model of emotion. The present study employed questionnaire measures of psychoticism (P) and impulsive sensation seeking (ISS) to explore the relationship between personality and reactions to music selected to produce the emotions in the quadrants of the circumplex. The 65 female and 27 male undergraduate students listened to four excerpts of music representing each of the four quadrants, with music in each quadrant selected to reflect classical/contemporary and familiar/unfamiliar distinctions. Participants rated each excerpt with respect to liking, familiarity, pleasantness and arousal potential, and on seven pairs of emotion-related adjectives. P was associated with the tendency to enjoy music that was unsettling and boring: that is, in the `unpleasant' half of the circumplex. P was also linked with negative emotional responses to music that was relaxing and exciting: that is, in the `pleasant' half of the circumplex. There were few significant correlations with ISS, although high scorers reported being sadder, and less happy, than low scorers when listening to relaxing/peaceful music. The results provided general support to previous studies relating psychoticism to liking for music sometimes characterized as `problem' or `deviant'.

Comparative effects of music and recalled life-events on emotional state

Konecni, V. J., Brown, A., Wanic, R. A. — 2008-07-01

Several classical issues in the area of music and emotion were investigated in a 3 x 3 x 2 x 2 x 4 experiment (N =144). Participants recalled happy, neutral, or sad life-events, and they listened to happy, neutral, or sad music, in one of two orders of recall and listening. Four dependent measures were obtained: Own emotional state at the time that the recalled event originally occurred (ETHEN) and immediately after recall (ENOW); own emotional state after listening to music (IEM) and a rating of the emotional expressiveness of the music (EDEM), with the order of IEM and EDEM counterbalanced. All measures were on a 13-point happy—sad scale. The main, statistically highly significant, findings were: (a) the ETHEN ratings were more extreme on both the happy and sad tasks than the ENOW and IEM ratings; (b) the ENOW scores were more extreme than the IEM ones, but only on the sad task; (c) the EDEM ratings were more extreme than the IEM ones; (d) the IEM ratings were nevertheless different from the scale midpoint, especially when the participants listened to music before recalling events. The pattern of results and complex methodological issues cast considerable doubt on the idea of a direct causal link between music and emotion. It was also proposed that the notion of `musical emotions' be replaced by the concepts of `being moved' and `aesthetic awe'.

Musical expression: an observational study of instrumental teaching

Karlsson, J., Juslin, P. N. — 2008-07-01

Research has shown that both music students and teachers think that expression is important. Yet, we know little about how expression is taught to students. Such knowledge is needed in order to enhance teaching of expression. The aim of this study was thus to explore the nature of instrumental music teaching in its natural context, with a focus on expression and emotion. Lessons featuring five music teachers and 12 students were video-filmed, transcribed, content analyzed, and coded into categories of feedback and language use. Results suggested that the focus of teaching was mainly on technique and on the written score. Lessons were dominated by talk, with the teacher doing most of the talking. Issues concerning expression and emotion were mostly dealt with implicitly rather than explicitly, although some teachers used a variety of strategies to enhance expression. Although there were individual differences among teachers, a common feature was the lack of clear goals, specific tasks, and systematic teaching patterns.

Negotiating transitions in musical development: the role of psychological characteristics of developing excellence

MacNamara, A., Holmes, P., Collins, D. — 2008-07-01

The challenges of developing potential to achieve high-level performance in music are considerable. Furthermore, research is increasingly emphasizing the multidimensional and dynamic construction of talent, along with an awareness of the central role of psycho-behavioural factors in the realization of potential. Moreover, in order to achieve success, developing musicians must negotiate key transitions between stages of development. In order to investigate these various challenges, world-class musicians were purposefully sampled and interviewed about their development in music. Subsequently, key transitions within their career, as well as the skills and characteristics needed to negotiate these transitions, were identified. Results suggest that the ability to negotiate transitions between stages of development is mediated by the development and employment of a range of psychological characteristics of developing excellence (PCDEs). These PCDEs appear similar to those employed in other performance domains and support increasing empirical evidence of the development of psycho-behavioural characteristics as a core feature of talent development processes.

The effects of musical training on verbal memory

2008-07-01

A number of studies suggest a link between musical training and general cognitive abilities. Despite some positive results, there is disagreement about which abilities are improved. One line of research leads to the hypothesis that verbal abilities in general, and verbal memory in particular, are related to musical training. In the present article, we review this line of research and present newly collected data comparing trained musicians to non-musicians on a number of tasks that recruit verbal memory. The results showed an advantage for musicians' long-term verbal memory that disappeared when articulatory suppression was introduced. In addition, we found evidence for a greater verbal working memory span in musicians. Together, these results show that musical training may influence verbal working memory and long-term memory, and they suggest that these improved abilities are due to enhanced verbal rehearsal mechanisms in musicians.

Review article: D. HURON, Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press (A Bradford Book), 2006. 476 pp, 108 illus. ISBN 0--262--08345--0 (hbk) $40/{pound}25.95

Ockelford, A. — 2008-07-01

Book review: ANDREAS C. LEHMANN, JOHN A. SLOBODA and ROBERT H. WOODY, Psychology for Musicians: Understanding and Acquiring the Skills. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007. 268 pp. ISBN 9780195146103

Creech, A. — 2008-07-01

Book review: ROBERT WALKER, Music Education: Cultural Values, Social Change and Innovation. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 2007. 321 pp. ISBN 9780398077266 (hbk) $69.95

Plummeridge, C. — 2008-07-01

Recent reviewers for Psychology of Music

2008-07-01