In this module, students will be introduced to topics in Music Cognition. The classes may cover topics such as psychoacoustics, rhythm, meter and pitch perception, music and memory, music and language, music and social interaction and the psychology of music performance. The module may also include a practical workshop-style `mock experiment? in which students will be supervised in designing a simple study, collecting empirical data and analysing the results using simple statistical analysis. The taught topics and practical experiments will be discussed in such a way as to provide students with the tools to critically assess scientific approaches to music, including their limitations and ethical considerations.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a good grasp of key mechanisms and concepts in musical cognition
Show a basic understanding of how empirical studies of musical cognition are conducted and how empirical findings are interpreted.
Write up simple experiment reports, describing study designs, procedures, analysis and results.
Show a critical understanding of the contributions of scientific approaches to music, and their ethical considerations.