Psychology of Music: From Sound to Significance

From the physical vibrations of sound to the perplexing questions of how music conveys meaning, Psychology of Music: From Sound to Significance takes readers on a wide-ranging exploration of this vibrant multidisciplinary field of study. Now in its third edition, the book emphasizes meaningful links between academic learning and real-world contexts, pointing readers towards intriguing strands of research in both basic and applied areas that are highlighted throughout.

In this new edition, the authors apply the same richness of depth and scope that were the hallmarks of the previous editions of this text, exploring the foundations of music psychology; the perception and cognition of music; development, learning, and performance; and the meaning and significance of music.

Key features include:

• More than 450 new citations to reflect advances in the field
• New boxes exploring topics such as the musical experience of cochlear implant users, pitch and rhythm perception in animals, gene-environment interplay, and the benefits of music in medical and therapeutic contexts
• An expanded appendix including many new tried-and-tested projects and exercises for instructors

This book continues to be invaluable to both psychology and music undergraduate and postgraduate students and instructors, and will appeal to anyone interested in the vital and expanding field of psychology of music.

Dr. Siu-Lan Tan is A.B Stone Professor of Psychology at Kalamazoo College in Michigan, USA. She completed degrees in Music at Pacific Union College, graduate studies at Oxford University, and a PhD in Psychology at Georgetown University. Her research focuses on musical form, music notation, and film music, and she plays piano. She is primary editor of The Psychology of Music in Multimedia, and appears in Score: A Film Music Documentary.

Peter Pfordresher is Professor of Psychology at SUNY Buffalo in New York State, USA. He completed his PhD in Psychology at the Ohio State University. His research on the relationship between perception and action in music has been published in psychology, music cognition, and music education journals, and has received support from the National Science Foundation. He sings and plays piano, guitar, and the trumpet.

Rom Harré is Emeritus Fellow of Linacre College, Oxford University, UK. He was Distinguished Research Professor of Psychology at Georgetown University, and Director of the Centre for the Philosophy of the Natural and Social Sciences at the London School of Economics.