The Psychology of Art and Music

Overview

This module will explore the interplay of psychology, art and music; both how psychology informs our understanding of art and music, and how art and music influence psychological processes and can be used to further psychological understanding. Topics covered will include: theories of creativity; musical sound; music and the brain; performance and perception of music; musical skill acquisition and expertise; the social psychology of art (including art as a means of promoting solidarity, and assisting in self-knowledge); the relationship between arts and mental health and uses of art and music in therapy, sport, and rehabilitation; and arts-based approaches to psychological research.

Students will come to recognise that different forms of the arts can be interpreted through a psychological lens, starting from an examination of the underlying processes of creativity and how artwork can impact the individual and society on a psychological level, and how artworks can tell us something about human behaviour. They will also learn how music as a rich exemplar of human behaviour can inform theories and understanding across a wide range of psychology domains, such as motor control and learning, expertise, neural plasticity, social co-ordination, and non-verbal communication.

Classes will involve lectures, and seminars with group discussion.

This module can be mapped onto UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and Goal 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Learning Objectives

After studying this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
1. A critical understanding of theory and empirical research in the psychology of art and music
2. Ability to apply knowledge of psychology to show understanding of real-world visual art and musical scenarios
3. Insight into how research on art and music can inform psychologists about human mind and behaviour across different domains of psychology

Skills

Students will be encouraged to develop and consolidate the following skills:
1. Critical evaluation, analytic and written communication skills (via coursework and examination)
2. Communication and argumentation skills (through class discussions)
3. Ability to apply psychological theories to real-world scenarios and phenomena (through coursework, examination and class discussions)

Assessment

None