BSc Psychology

This unit will bring together several professionals in audiology, deaf education, cognitive psychology and mental health to outline the role of psychology in understanding music. The module aims to facilitate students’ understanding of how different disciplines within the field of psychology can be applied to the study of music. Several topics will be explored from basic auditory neuroscience exploring how we perceive aspects of music such as melody, harmony, and rhythm to how music has personal meaning in the context of memory and emotion. We will explore questions like ‘Why do certain songs get stuck on repeat in my head?’’ ‘How does music evoke strong emotions?’ ‘Is music special: does our brain process music differently to other auditory stimuli?’
We will discuss what we mean by music, the basic elements of music and how the brain processes these elements. We will look at how we appreciate music, the evolutionary function of music and whether we are born with an innate musical ability. We then look at contributions from developmental and cognitive psychology, and what these can tell us about how we process music. Finally, we look at music in clinical populations by reviewing case studies where musical ability or perception have been implicated and discussing the efficacy of music therapy in various clinical groups.

Introduce students to the psychology of music, from the physical properties of sound waves 
through to construction of meaning in music and its social and emotional significance. The 
module will explore aspects of musical perception, musical development and music as a 
tool in clinical populations and therapeutic contexts. 

Students will draw on learning from several different areas of their degree, including 
aspects of perception (PSYC11312, PSYC21012) development (PSYC10211, PSYC21021), and clinical psychology and mental health (PSYC21032) and evaluate the contribution of 
these to our understanding of the psychology of music. The course is an optional Year 3 
course unit for the BSc (Hons) Psychology.

The unit will cover 11 lectures, with an additional week dedicated to revision. Each week, 
students will have approximately two hours of lecture content. This will be supplemented 
with seminars and workshops, where students will have the opportunity to collaborate and 
investigate some of the topics discussed in the lectures in a more practical context. Reading groups will run alongside the module to give students the opportunity to engage in discussion around literature associated with the course content.
 

Anticipated sessions will include topics such as musical development, music and emotion, 
music therapy and music and hearing loss. 

• Appreciate the different contributions from various areas of 
  psychology to the study and understanding of music
• Read and evaluate current research literature
• Understand the mechanisms of music perception

• Synthesise, analyse and evaluate information from primary 
  sources, including journal articles
• Make a reasoned argument for a particular point of view
• Critically evaluate scientific theories, evidence and practice

• Use library, electronic and online resources to research areas 
  of the psychology of music
• Make clear, structured arguments and support them with 
  evidence

• To begin to draw links between different aspects of the 
  discipline of psychology and consider the relationship 
  between these areas
• Contribution to group discussions 
• Communicating effectively both orally and in writing
• Presenting concise and persuasive arguments

Students will receive a grade and written feedback*, and will have the opportunity 
to go through feedback at an optional additional drop-in session for the essay.

Students will receive a grade and can request a summary of their feedback 
after the exam board for the exam.

Different lecturers will draw on different sources so there will not be a single recommended 
textbook for the core course content. Some examples of reading that will be required in the 
course:

• Plack, C. J. (2018). The Sense of Hearing (3rd Ed.). (Routledge) Chapters 4, 7 & 12
• Deutsch, D. (Ed.). (2013). Psychology of music. Elsevier. Chapters 11 & 15. 
• Sacks, O. (2010). Musicophilia: Tales of music and the brain. Vintage Canada.