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The article explores the experience of listening to classic songs with place titles, such as "San Francisco" and "New York, New York," and the emotions and nostalgia they evoke. The author describes how these songs provide a temporary escape from a fast-paced lifestyle and mundane reality, and how they create a sense of longing for an idealized past and an envisioned reality. The article also discusses the collective resonance and social connections that these songs can foster, particularly during times of social isolation. Overall, the article highlights the power of music to transport listeners and evoke deep emotions and connections. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this research was to enhance understanding of the relationship between brief music listening and working memory (WM) functions. The study extends a previous large-scale experiment in which the effects of brief exposure to music on verbal WM were explored. In the present second phase of the experiment, these effects were assessed for the visuospatial subcomponent of WM. For that aim, visuospatial WM was measured using the Corsi blocks task-backwards and Visual Patterns Test in a large sample of 311 young and older adults after being exposed to musical excerpts coming from different music composers (Mozart, Vivaldi, Glass). To account for possible effects of arousal, a silence condition was used. Individual preference for music excerpts and emotional reactions to each condition were also subjectively rated using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to account for the role of emotional reactions in shaping subsequent cognitive performance. Results showed that music affected the visuospatial sketchpad of WM. In line with the previously described Mozart effect, only Mozart's music had a significant positive impact on visuospatial WM in the two age groups, regardless of preferences, and on overall age-related WM decline in older adults. The Mozart effect was more prominent for the VPT than the Corsi task and was also expressed for the prevailing positive effect. These observations are in contrast to the selective influence of Vivaldi's music on verbal WM that was detected in our first study. Together, the results demonstrate a differential music influence on the phonological loop and on the visuospatial sketchpad. They thus contribute to the debate of whether music has the potential to affect distinct processes within working memory in an excerpt- or composer-specific manner. Also, they suggest that emotional activation and central executive attention are essentially involved in modulating the influence of music on subsequent cognition. These findings can assist in the selection of music excerpts used in cognitive rehabilitation programs that focus on visuospatial skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous previous studies have shown the effectiveness of music therapy in enhancing cognitive functions in patients with dementia. Despite this, robust evidence in this field, especially concerning the comparison of different music therapy types, is lacking. Therefore, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on music therapy and cognitive functions in dementia patients, termed by "music" AND "dementia" OR "Alzheimer's disease" AND "cognitive", were identified from primary electronic databases to conduct this network meta-analysis (NMA). The primary outcome focused on the impact on cognitive functions, and the secondary outcome was the comparison of dropout rates between the intervention groups and the usual care control groups. Standardized mean difference (SMD) values and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for effect evaluation. This study protocol has been registered in IPLASY (INPLASY202430082). A total of 14 RCTs with 1056 participants were enrolled, examining interventions including Active Music Therapy (AMT), Active Music Therapy with Singing (AMT + Sing), Rhythmic Music Therapy (RMT), Listening to Music (LtM), and Singing (Sing). The results indicated that RMT, AMT + Sing, and AMT all significantly improve cognitive functions in dementia patients, of which the SMD were 0.76 (95% CI = 0.32–1.21), 0.79 (95% CI = 0.03–1.49), and 0.57 (0.18–0.96), respectively. Compared with the control group (usual care), no music therapy type was associated with an increased dropout risk. In conclusion, music therapy can improve cognitive functions in patients with dementia without increasing the risk of dropout, particularly RMT, AMT + Sing, and AMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective: Alzheimer's disease is a condition that can cause memory, thinking, and behaviour impairments. This type of dementia affects approximately 50 million people globally. Currently, there is no remedy for this disease, but there are different treatment approaches, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, that try to alleviate the symptoms. The remarkable fact about Alzheimer's response to music is that musical abilities can be preserved even though language could be lost. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the benefits of music therapy on cognitive impairments in older adults with Alzheimer's disease. Methods: This is a systematic review carried out following the PRISMA guidelines. The literature searches were conducted in the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, and Dialnet. The inclusion criteria established were as follows: randomised controlled studies and clinical trials published in English and Spanish from 2010 to 2024, patients diagnosed with dementia of the Alzheimer's type, aged 65 years or older, who had participated in music interventions and had cognitive changes. Results: Eleven studies were included in this review. They showed that music therapy interventions mainly improved memory, language, and orientation. The results of a methodological quality analysis showed that six of the articles had good methodological quality and four had excellent methodological quality. Conclusions: The results of this review suggest that treatment with music therapy improves cognitive impairments in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we can be sure that music creates a link between the patient and the specialist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the concept of tonality in music theory and its potential connection to systemic racism. The author, a music psychology researcher and immigrant, questions the racial implications of tonality and explores its definition as both an institution and a set of organizing principles. The article suggests alternative approaches to studying diverse musical systems and proposes the use of artificial tonal systems and grammars for future research. It also discusses the Bohlen-Pierce scale, a 13-step scale that challenges traditional Western tonality, and emphasizes the importance of curiosity, humility, and interdisciplinary collaboration in music-theoretical development. The author advocates for a more inclusive and forward-thinking approach to music studies. [Extracted from the article]

The purpose of this survey study was to describe how teacher preparation programs prepare undergraduate preservice music teachers to consider P–12 learners' socioemotional development. Music teacher education programs (N = 665) were identified from the 2019 Title II Report of National Teacher Preparation Data. Program representatives were invited via email to complete an online questionnaire; data from respondents (n = 133) were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings revealed that programs varied greatly in providing opportunities, conceptions, and practices. Relevant, embedded coursework existed in most music teacher education programs. Just under one quarter of respondents reported requiring socioemotional development coursework, and 4.51% indicated at least one music-specific course. Course topics were directed at specific populations and teaching methods; courses were often housed in education, psychology, or sociology departments. Required experiences included fieldwork in general music, practicum, student teaching, or "diverse," rural, or urban settings. Methods of delivery for optional experiences were similar to required experiences, with the addition of conferences and partnerships with organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a historical perspective, 'psychology' can be studied from an abundance of angels. Thus, a selected perspective requires some historiographical reflections, but also a conscious awareness of the actual chosen terms that are at stake. In this study, the historiographical perspective follows an emergent understanding of the history, which implies that the actual chosen terms are dynamically contributing to a web of terms, in which all of them may change in more or less unpredictable directions. In line with this, the aspect of music is consciously chosen, as it probably is one of the most ignored aspects of psychology in historical research. Thus, the findings in this study reveal that music as the 'direct factor' played an overarching role in the nineteenth centuries experimental psychology, but also that the changes in the understanding of music in the early sixteenth century is comparable with the changes the understanding of the soul underwent along with the introduction of the neologism 'psychology'. In the understanding of both music and the soul the sensational aspects replaced the mathematical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a recent publication in feminist music studies that explores the neglected aspects of 'electrosexual' music in the field of electronic music. The book examines themes such as the 'feminised' voice and sexual climax, and addresses exclusionary boundaries in electronic music based on race, gender, and prestige. It also explores the intersectionality of race in electrosexual music and discusses resistance and alternative expressions in Black popular electronic music. While the article acknowledges the book's ethical commitments, it suggests that certain identities and expressions remain unaddressed. The text offers a critical analysis of the book's content and structure, noting its exploration of the influence of academia on research and the rejection of that paradigm. It suggests that the book covers a wide range of topics but may lack emphasis on music analysis and interpretative reading. The article also discusses the role of music theory in feminist, queer, and trans music studies and suggests a broadened definition of music theory. Overall, the book provokes questions and contributes to the field of gender and sexuality studies in music. [Extracted from the article]

• Music may offer physiological and psychological impacts on humans. • Establishing centers of music for health in academia can help develop inter-disciplinary approaches to unravel the power of music. • Raising awareness about the potential health benefits of music can lead to further studies and the establishment of guidelines for employing music in health settings. A multitude of clinical trials measuring hemodynamic and psychological parameters have shown the beneficial effects of music on health. However, there are no clear instructions on how to utilize the potential benefits of music to improve health outcomes. Moreover, whether the effect of music is transient or enduring has yet to be determined. To address the effect of music on vital parameters and emotional well-being of patients we provide an overview of methods and findings of some studies that have evaluated the physiological or psychological impacts of music. This review puts forward a proposed model for fostering an individualized approach that can examine the therapeutic effects of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance profile (PP) technique is a standard intervention employed by mental performance consultants to enhance a range of psychological outcomes within individuals and groups. Since its inception, the PP has generated much applied and research interest in the field of sport and performance psychology. The last decade has seen a resurgence of performance profiling publications, including applied reflections and empirical investigations, as well as extending use of the technique to novel populations. In addition to novel applications, more psychological outcomes, formal adaptations, theoretical extensions, and validity data have been provided. This paper distills previous and recent PP literature so as to provide a comprehensive and updated overview of the popular PP procedure. To this end, the PP technique's implementation overview, theoretical roots, established variations, validity, and impacts to date are thoroughly discussed. Limitations of the technique and future directions to extend the performance profiling literature are offered. Collectively, this information provides readers with insight as to the flexibility, utility, and effectiveness of the PP technique and implications for professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have seen an explosion of research on cross-modal correspondences. Broadly speaking, this term has been used to encompass associations between and among features, dimensions, or attributes across the senses. There has been an increasing interest in this topic amongst researchers from multiple fields (psychology, neuroscience, music, art, environmental design, etc.) and, importantly, an increasing breadth of the topic's scope. Here, this narrative review aims to reflect on what cross-modal correspondences are, where they come from, and what underlies them. We suggest that cross-modal correspondences are usefully conceived as relative associations between different actual or imagined sensory stimuli, many of these correspondences being shared by most people. A taxonomy of correspondences with four major kinds of associations (physiological, semantic, statistical, and affective) characterizes cross-modal correspondences. Sensory dimensions (quantity/quality) and sensory features (lower perceptual/higher cognitive) correspond in cross-modal correspondences. Cross-modal correspondences may be understood (or measured) from two complementary perspectives: the phenomenal view (perceptual experiences of subjective matching) and the behavioural response view (observable patterns of behavioural response to multiple sensory stimuli). Importantly, we reflect on remaining questions and standing issues that need to be addressed in order to develop an explanatory framework for cross-modal correspondences. Future research needs (a) to understand better when (and why) phenomenal and behavioural measures are coincidental and when they are not, and, ideally, (b) to determine whether different kinds of cross-modal correspondence (quantity/quality, lower perceptual/higher cognitive) rely on the same or different mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a collection of abstracts from the International Journal of Psychology, covering various topics related to psychology and the arts. One abstract discusses the role of aesthetic education in developing psychomotor skills, while another explores the relationship between artistic work and the Rorschach test. Additional abstracts examine gender differences and chronic stress in music undergraduates, the effects of expressive arts-based intervention on traumatized adolescents, and the impact of aesthetic education on cognitive development. There are also abstracts on the classification and consistency of Indian musical modes, the aesthetic appreciation of haiku poetry, and the impact of musical impressing on individuals and society. The article specifically focuses on the art form called Aitys, analyzing its psychological nature and its ability to foster skills needed in the modern market world. It emphasizes the communicative and interactive aspects of Aitys, highlighting its role in promoting creative thinking and creating a sense of ethnic unity among Kazakh young people. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Despite the use of perioperative anxiolytics and pain medication, surgery can be a stressful and painful experience. Providing patients with distractions using video and/or audio tools in addition to medication may be helpful. To date, no studies have compared different distraction modalities in a same-day surgical setting in adults. This study aims to determine whether audio-visual distraction with video glasses (AVD) is more effective in reducing anxiety and pain compared to audio distraction (AD) in conscious patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. It was hypothesised that AVD, being the more immersive modality, would be more effective than AD on the outcome parameters. Methods: Fifty patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery with local and/or regional anaesthesia in a clinical day-care setting were randomly assigned to receive either fixed-scenery AVD or patient-choice AD with music. Primary outcome was anxiety, as measured by the Dutch version of the Spielberger State–Trait Anxiety Inventory-6 (STAI-6) prior to and 15 min after the intervention. Secondary outcomes were pain (Numeric Rating Scale Pain [NRS-P]), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and patient satisfaction. Results: Within each group, there was a significant reduction in anxiety (p = 0.028 for AVD, p < 0.001 for AD). In contrast to our hypothesis, listening to music without watching a video (AD group) reduced anxiety significantly more than experiencing full AVD (p = 0.018). The mean pain score did not change significantly within either user group, nor did pain scores differ between user groups. Conclusion: In conscious patients undergoing surgery, watching a movie (using video glasses and a headphone set) and listening to music (using only a headphone set) are able to significantly reduce anxiety. AVD, although believed to provide higher levels of distraction, did not prove to be superior to AD. The clinical relevance of this study highlights the potential benefits of AVD or AD modalities in improving the surgical experience for conscious patients. Further research is required to examine the influence of freedom of choice in content on the aforementioned outcomes. To estimate the true value of higher immersion levels, different distraction modalities (e.g. AVD versus virtual reality) featuring the exact same scenery or content need to be compared. Level of evidence: Level I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt is made to comprehend the latest developments in such a field of neuroscience as neuroethics, music through the perception of the human brain. Yes, for example, the key ideas of neuroethics are generally in line with the spirit of Kantian apriorism, reinterpreted in the current terms of cognitive neuroscience. Today, more and more arguments are found that "music excites such internal physiological programs that contribute to the restoration of the homeostatic equilibrium of the organism .... This means that music plays a role in human evolution. The article proposes the concept of a musical module, which correlates with a cognitive neurostructure. The theoretical and methodological features of the formation of today's classical music are investigated. The methods of analysis, synthesis, explanatory, research and scientific methods have been applied to conduct an effective research. Priority directions of modern music development in the context of neurophysiological development have been determined. Formed the results of the study, which were the basis for determining aspects of prospective musical development. Scientific research in the field of music and the field of psychology is investigated, which is the basis for the development of neuroscience. The relevance of the article is determined by the need to adapt music to the challenges of information and communication society and to determine the prospects for further development of today's classical music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having participants listen and react to musical stimuli is one of music cognition's foundational methods. Whereas most researchers have used stimuli adapted from existing musical traditions in such work, others have incorporated artificial stimuli (i.e., stimuli generated specifically for research that are not borrowed from any existing musical system) into their research designs. No review of this growing literature on artificial stimuli exists, leaving open the question of how useful they are in helping formulate and test research questions in music cognition. To this end, a systematic narrative review of empirical studies utilizing artificial musical stimuli (N = 52) was conducted. Comparing these studies to analogous works involving conventional stimuli in the areas of music preference, music learning, and musical emotion revealed the power of artificial stimuli in reducing concerns regarding stimulus familiarity and musical enculturation confounds, as well as in refining theory by reiterating the need for the development of composite predictive models in music cognition. This review also suggests that using artificial stimuli has the potential to help clarify the neurological and sociocognitive factors surrounding music listening behavior. Furthermore, because artificial stimuli are not tied to any existing sociocultural musical system, they may also lead to more generalizable findings. This enhanced generalizability may also coincide with expanded inclusivity, toward which the field of music cognition (and psychology more generally) are increasingly striving. Other potential uses, benefits, and limitations of artificial musical stimuli are discussed, as well as recommendations for researchers seeking to utilize such stimuli in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absolute pitch (AP) is a fairly rare and special phenomenon that has relevance for musicology, psychology, genetics, and neuroscience. AP possessors are able to identify the pitch of an isolated sound or to produce that sound without a reference point. The authors' aim is to review the literature on AP. The phenomenon of AP was described in the era of Mozart, but it was only in the last decades of the 19th century that it became the focus of research. The standardization of the tuning system and organized music education underlied the interest in AP, and Bachem's tone chroma concept was relevant as well. The prevalence of AP is estimated to be between 0.01% and 1% in the general population, however, larger-scale epidemiological studies are lacking. AP's prevalence is much higher in special groups, such as among trained musicians, relatives of AP possessors, blind persons, people native in tonal languages, Asian music students or musicians, and those with an autism spectrum disorder. The genetic and environmental factors behind this ability are briefly summarized, followed by a detailed discussion of the solfège methods (movable-do and fixed-do systems) that can facilitate the development of AP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2012 to 2023, the American Psychological Association served as publisher of Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain. Annabel Cohen and Mark Schmuckler were the successive editors-in-chiefs during this time. As the journal is ceasing publication, the two editors reflect on the development and progress of the journal in the context of the history of psychology and publication trends. They present their review in 10 short movements each with a unique musical emotional expressivity: overture, amabile, vivace, elegy doloroso, sforzando, capriccio, con brio, pendolo, agilmente, and finale risonante, ending on a very upbeat note! Early on, Psychomusicology offered a much-needed research forum for the psychology of music. More recently, the recognized importance of music psychology to almost all areas of psychology has led to increasing numbers of outlets for publication. During the 12 recent years under APA's stewardship, the journalmore than doubled the number of articles published since the journal's inception in 1981. The entire corpus of almost 600 articles represents foundational and well-cited contributions to such current research areas as musical expectancy, performance excellence, musical development, neuroscience, emotion, preference, and film music, among others. Cohen and Schmuckler express deep gratitude to the authors, past editorial board members, and reviewers for their contributions to this corpus, and to the American Psychological Association Publications office and staff both for support and, importantly, for holding and making accessible in perpetuity the outstanding scholarship within the archives of Psychomusicology: MusicMind & Brain and Psychomusicology: A Journal of Music Cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REPORTED STUDIES ABOUT CROSSMODAL correspondences between music and smell basically focus on individual musical parameters. An experiment was carried out to explore such correspondences emerging from musical improvisation elicited by 20 olfactory stimuli, which allows the study of multiple musical parameters at the same time. A group of 14 pianists was asked to smell each stimulus and to play a short free improvisation inspired by it. From each improvisation, 14 musical parameters were extracted. The same odorants were also described by a panel of 15 volunteers. The main outcomes were the following: 1) The mean sensory ratings on a scale of fresh vs. warm appeared correlated with the average pitch of the improvisation. 2) The four odorants perceived as somewhat camphoraceous like lavender and mint yielded more non legato/staccato articulation or rests. 3) The feminine odor character was negatively correlated with the ambitus of the improvisation, defined as the difference between the highest and lowest note, and was positively correlated with pitch-class entropy. 4) Pleasantness yielded a negative correlation with pitch-class entropy and dissonance, being positively correlated with the lowest note. The first outcome is consistent with earlier studies, but outcomes 2-4 were novel findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Music therapy is a promising complementary intervention for addressing various mental health conditions. Despite evidence of the beneficial effects of music, the acoustic features that make music effective in therapeutic contexts remain elusive. Aims This study aimed to identify and validate distinctive acoustic features of healing music. Methods We constructed a healing music dataset (HMD) based on nominations from related professionals and extracted 370 acoustic features. Healing-distinctive acoustic features were identified as those that were (1) independent from genre within the HMD, (2) significantly different from music pieces in a classical music dataset (CMD) and (3) similar to pieces in a five-element music dataset (FEMD). We validated the identified features by comparing jazz pieces in the HMD with a jazz music dataset (JMD). We also examined the emotional properties of the features in a Chinese affective music system (CAMS). Results The HMD comprised 165 pieces. Among all the acoustic features, 74.59% shared commonalities across genres, and 26.22% significantly differed between the HMD classical pieces and the CMD. The equivalence test showed that the HMD and FEMD did not differ significantly in 9.46% of the features. The potential healing-distinctive acoustic features were identified as the standard deviation of the roughness, mean and period entropy of the third coefficient of the mel-frequency cepstral coefficients. In a three-dimensional space defined by these features, HMD’s jazz pieces could be distinguished from those of the JMD. These three features could significantly predict both subjective valence and arousal ratings in the CAMS. Conclusions The distinctive acoustic features of healing music that have been identified and validated in this study have implications for the development of artificial intelligence models for identifying therapeutic music, particularly in contexts where access to professional expertise may be limited. This study contributes to the growing body of research exploring the potential of digital technologies for healthcare interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music interventions in medicine have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression, decrease pain, and improve quality of life; however, a review of clinical music interventions in dermatology is lacking. Studies have shown that playing music for patients undergoing dermatologic procedures (Mohs surgery and anesthetic injections) can decrease pain and anxiety. Patients with pruritic conditions—such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis, atopic dermatitis, contact eczema, and situations requiring hemodialysis—have exhibited decreased levels of disease burden and pain when listening to preferred music, pre-chosen music, and live music. Studies suggest that listening to certain types of music may also alter serum cytokines, affecting the allergic wheal response. Additional research is necessary to determine the full potential and practical applications for clinical music interventions in dermatology. Future research should focus on targeting skin conditions that may benefit from the psychological, inflammatory, and immune effects of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze and discuss traditional and alternative theories of leadership in organizations, through a literature review encompassing the main approaches utilized in contemporary leadership research. The analysis considers such theories´ underlying assumptions about the nature of social science and society. To obtain the results, the literature is categorized in a novel and ex post facto way in Burrell and Morgan´s four-paradigm matrix. It is concluded that the majority of research on the topic is functionalist with a pragmatic orientation and that, from the trait theories of leadership to the evolutionary psychology, more plural knowledge is required to promote more effective organizations, persons, and, consequently, societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of sounds and music on emotions and cognitive abilities. It highlights that auditory stimuli can influence attention, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity. The article presents research on the effects of learning to play a musical instrument on cognitive abilities and academic success, as well as the cognitive and emotional benefits of musical training. It also explores how music can enhance mood, cognitive functions, and quality of life for individuals with brain damage or neurodegenerative diseases. The article includes studies on the performance of cognitive tasks by musicians and non-musicians, the influence of music on artistic creativity, and the use of music in therapeutic settings. The authors emphasize the positive effects of music on mood regulation and cognitive performance for individuals of all expertise levels and mental health statuses. [Extracted from the article]

The online community of vaporwave music is a cultural development that emerged in the 2010s and therefore fully within the ideological sphere of postindustrialism. Consisting of slowed-down samples from pop songs and advertising jingles from the 1980s and 1990s stitched together with original synthesizer pieces that resemble those used in horror-film scores, vaporwave is an undead, artificial soundscape that floats somewhere between music and sound. Its fake nostalgia for an alternative yet ossified past aims to confront our contemporary social paralysis in the face of postmillennial economic failure and political crisis. This article examines gothic elements of the vaporwave music phenomenon to analyze how vaporwave expresses sociopolitical traumas of late capitalism. Derridean notions of hauntology articulate the individual's self-isolation and objectification under the neoliberal homogenization of culture in vaporwave artist Begotten's contributions to the hushwave subgenre of the scene (2018-19). Vaporwave's cyclical and uncanny sounds embody the spectral haunting of Marx in capitalism's repetitive pronunciation of victory over its vanquished, communist foe in Sunsetcorp's 2009 single "nobody here" and the manifestations of American political trauma after 9/11 in Cat System Corporation's signalwave album, News at 11 (2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the relationship between hardiness and Korean adults' expectations for future life, and verified the multiple mediating effects of perceived stress, music listening for negative emotion regulation, and life satisfaction on that relationship. The participants were 412 Korean adults aged 20–65 years. PROCESS Macro 3.5 Model 80 was used to examine the multiple mediating effects. Correlational analysis showed that hardiness was positively correlated with music listening for negative emotion regulation, life satisfaction, and expectations for future life, whereas it was negatively correlated with perceived stress. Perceived stress was negatively correlated with life satisfaction and expectations for future life, whereas music listening for negative emotion regulation was positively correlated with life satisfaction and expectations for future life. In the multiple mediation model, the relationships between hardiness and expectations for future life, the sequential mediating effect of perceived stress and life satisfaction, and the sequential mediating effect of music listening for negative emotion regulation and life satisfaction were significant. The direct effect of hardiness on expectations for future life was also significant, indicating that perceived stress, music listening for negative emotion regulation, and life satisfaction only partially mediated the relationship between hardiness and expectations for future life. It seems, thus, that perceived stress, music listening for negative emotion regulation, and life satisfaction play an important role in Korean adults' expectations for future life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the undervaluation of silence in academic film analysis and theories, emphasizing the significance of audiovisual silence as a lever for change and transition in filmmaking. It also highlights the role of audiovisual silence in conveying meaning, rhythm, and communicative alternation in narratives, contributing to a theoretical framework for understanding its importance.

Music interventions (MIs) have been widely used to relieve anxiety in dementia in clinical settings. However, limited meta-analysis with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this topic has been conducted so far. A systematic search was conducted in four major databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) for data provided by RCTs from the inception to February 2023. The search strategy employed the terms "anxiety AND music AND dementia OR Alzheimer's disease". Thirteen RCTs (827 participants) were included. The results showed MI reduced anxiety significantly (SMD = −0.67, p < 0.001), especially for Alzheimer's disease (p = 0.007) and Mixed (p < 0.001)-type dementia. Moreover, significant improvements in agitation (p = 0.021) and depression (p < 0.001) in dementia were observed. Additionally, several psychological mechanisms which may be associated with MI were reviewed comprehensively. In conclusion, our findings support the efficacy of MI in alleviating anxiety symptoms in dementia patients. PROSPERO Registration (ID: CRD42021276646). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As faculty members, we should support students who want to engage in music research, either in our own labs or in collaboration with music researchers - even if one has never studied music before - and we should encourage the development of our own departments, in terms of the courses we offer and the people we hire. When psychologist Sandra Trehub passed away in January 2023, many of her colleagues noted her role in putting music on psychologists' radar - especially research on music in development. The evidence is all around us all: just look in your pocket (where a device is available that plays music) or at your credit card bill (where you've likely spent money on music) or at your children's education (which likely includes music). A bright future for developmental science on music We see this Special Issue as an existence proof for the vitality, breadth, and importance of music as a core domain of research in developmental science. [Extracted from the article]

From the framework of enactive cognition, musical sense emerges-at least in part-from the movements that people make during musical perception or performance. In cases of social musical practices, movements are coupled both to sonic changes (synchronies with musical metrical structure and form, for example) and to other's people movements. Motor patterns emerge from these person-music and person-person interactions and express the sense-making of the environment. Since the case of the dance is rarely studied by the psychology of music, it was necessary to introduce the anthropology perspective, which considers that dances-at least the folkloric ones-have a structure made by spatiotemporal regularities of the movements. In this article, it is proposed that dance at electronic parties is organized in motor patterns defined by the interaction of each person with the music and the other people. An empirical study was based on the audiovisual record of a tech house party (La Plata city, Argentina), and a microanalysis arms and legs movements of 20 persons at the dance floor, with the aim to identify and describe the motor patterns shared by people and their links with music. Based on this analysis, a dance structure formed by the constant repetition of a motor patterns' set, spatiotemporal defined was identify. The predominant motor patterns of the legs are two: one formed by two steps (44 % of the total time) and the other by four (50.8%). In both cases, people synchronize their steps with the musical beat, which produce a pattern of two beats length and other of four. The predominant motor patterns of the arms are also two, each formed by a direct movement and another in the opposite direction: one pattern's spatial trajectory is horizontal (48.8 %) and the other, sagittal (47.4 %). People synchronize their arms' movements with the metrical structure of music; the pattern's length varies between one (39.7 %), two (46.7 %) and four beats (9 %). People repeat each arm and leg's pattern multiple times before switching to the next. The moment at which each person switches their movements from a pattern to another is not temporarily aligned either with other people change of movements or with significant musical changes. Although motor coordination with metrical structure is a characteristic feature of a huge number of musical genres, the omnipresent synchrony with metrical levels of one, two and four beats of this type of dance is probably promoted by the specific features of electronic music for dance, which is analyzed in the article. The temporality of these dance movements can be described as an emergency from the interaction with the music and therefore reciprocally determined by both the music and the person. Instead, spatial features of motion patterns do not seem to have any relation with music. These features can be described as an emergency from the coordination of spatial trajectories between people at the dance floors of several parties, and therefore determined by the social interactions and the culturally right ways of moving in this context. Thereby, the dance structure at electronic parties emerges from the union of the musical and the other's dance sense making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this perspective article, the authors give insight into the beneficial effects and the current developments in music therapy for patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) in the Netherlands. Music may be the key to distracting patients from negative moods, to help them express emotions and to teach them new skills on physical, psychosocial and cognitive levels. This may lead to improving the quality of life of patients with KS. Emphasis is placed on the personal experience of the authors and on the future directions in the field. Their experience, as well as the experience of music therapy colleagues working in the field with the same target population (joined together in the Music Therapy Korsakoff Expertise Group), is situated in the context of existing literature and showcases current developments in the specific field of music therapy and KS. Since literature on this specific topic is limited, the authors allowed themselves to delve into somewhat older but still leading and representative literature. There is still little knowledge on how music therapy may contribute to reducing the impairments patients with KS suffer and to improving their quality of life in general. Using the Empathic Directive Approach (EDA) as the starting point, the authors elaborate on different potential approaches and interventions. With this article, the authors aim to gain more insight into the potential role of the music therapist by highlighting music–therapeutic micro-interventions and to provide recommendations for future directions on how to integrate music therapy in the treatment of patients with Korsakoff's syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hysteroscopy is a common outpatient procedure but procedural pain limits its use. Music could be used as a pain-relieving intervention. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effect of music on pain and anxiety during outpatient hysteroscopy. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, from inception to September 2022. We included only the Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that investigated the effect of music on women who underwent outpatient hysteroscopy in reducing pain and anxiety levels compared to no music. We assessed the quality of included RCTs using the risk of bias tool 1 reported in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Data were pooled as the Mean Differences (MDs) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) in a random-effects model, using Review Manager 5.3 software. Also, we assessed the evidence of the results using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results: Three RCTs (540 women) were included. Music significantly reduced visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores as well as State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scores compared to controls (MD = -1.28; 95% CI [-2.19, -0.36]; P = 0.007) and (MD = -3.91; 95% CI [-6.98, -0.85]; P = 0.01) respectively. Also, the decrease in VAS score for pain was significantly greater in the music group (MD = 1.44; 95% CI [0.44, 2.45]; P = 0.005). However, the change in STAI showed no significant difference between the two groups. The GRADE ratings for all outcomes were very low. Conclusion: Music is a potentially promising method for controlling pain for patients undergoing outpatient hysteroscopy; however, its effect in controlling anxiety is controversial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crucial aspect of musical ability is a music-specific empathic capacity that enables the performer to uncover subjective meanings from musical materials and fully feel them during performance. Based on insights from both theoretical and empirical research into the psychology of music performance and from pedagogical practice, this capacity is thought to rely on a more general empathic ability and can be nurtured easily in most people, including those scoring rather poor on standard musical aptitude tests measuring "melodic", "rhythmic", or "harmonic" skills. In my paper, I present the theoretical bases of a new pedagogical approach for nurturing in musicians the capacity of feeling the elements of musical meaning in real time (in the act of performance): I introduce a new theory of musical expressiveness by defining, from a psychological point of view and from the perspective of the performer's phenomenology, the various layers of musical meaning (the "what" system) and the temporal-attentional abilities that enable to express them in real time (the "how" system). The paper concludes with a short introduction to a novel implementation of the above model of performer's phenomenological processes into performance teaching: a full training of musical attention called "Practice Methodology". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crucial aspect of musical ability is a music-specific empathic capacity that enables the performer to uncover subjective meanings from musical materials and fully feel them during performance. Based on insights from both theoretical and empirical research into the psychology of music performance and from pedagogical practice, this capacity is thought to rely on a more general empathic ability and can be nurtured easily in most people, including those scoring rather poor on standard musical aptitude tests measuring "melodic", "rhythmic", or "harmonic" skills. In my paper, I present the theoretical bases of a new pedagogical approach for nurturing in musicians the capacity of feeling the elements of musical meaning in real time (in the act of performance): I introduce a new theory of musical expressiveness by defining, from a psychological point of view and from the perspective of the performer's phenomenology, the various layers of musical meaning (the "what" system) and the temporal-attentional abilities that enable to express them in real time (the "how" system). The paper concludes with a short introduction to a novel implementation of the above model of performer's phenomenological processes into performance teaching: a full training of musical attention called "Practice Methodology". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"A Blaze of Light in Every Word: Analyzing the Popular Singing Voice" by Victoria Malawey is a comprehensive book that provides a framework for analyzing vocal delivery in popular music recordings. The book addresses the challenges of establishing a theoretical position, developing a systematic framework, and communicating it to other researchers. It explores the sonic materiality of singing voices and their cultural associations, focusing on four components of vocal analysis: pitch, prosody, quality, and mediation with technology. The book fills an analytical gap by offering a systematic method for interpreting vocal delivery in popular music, although there are areas that need further development, such as terminology and justification for certain components. Overall, "A Blaze of Light" contributes to the field of vocal analysis and the challenge of capturing the uniqueness of voice while developing a unified model. [Extracted from the article]

"The Solfeggio Tradition: A Forgotten Art of Melody in the Long Eighteenth Century" by Nicholas Baragwanath is a book that explores the teaching tradition of solfeggio in the eighteenth century. The author reconstructs this tradition based on archival evidence, shedding light on music pedagogy in Naples and other parts of Europe. The book also discusses the connection between the art of diminution and hexachordal solmization, which was used by composers and virtuosic castrati to embellish their performances. Baragwanath's work emphasizes the importance of examining historical European music not only as compositions but also as templates for improvisation. [Extracted from the article]

Music is often used to "soothe the soul," and one important function of music listening has been emotion regulation. In comparing consumption trends across cultures, past research has shown that individuals in Western countries, with typically higher prevalence of high arousal negative emotions, tend to listen to similarly high arousal rhythmic (danceable) music to cathartically discharge those emotions. However, other studies have shown that Spotify's energy feature, a measure of the intensity‐based arousal of a song, indicates the opposite effect: Energy was higher in songs in East Asian top‐50 charts than in Western ones. Combining evidence from reanalyses of secondary data (Pilot Analyses 1 and 2), sentiment analyses of lyrics from the US and Singapore (Study 1; N = 87 songs), and an emotion induction experiment in Japan and the US (Study 2; N = 353 participants), we show that collectivistic, East Asian cultures generally prefer songs with higher energy levels, and energetic songs are robustly associated with anger downregulation, over sadness and anxiety downregulation. We speculate that energy, as an intensity‐based musical arousal feature, may represent internalizing (control) regulation that one uses to "drown out" anger, which would be more prevalent in East Asian cultures due to sociocultural norms of emotion (non)expression. Conversely, this would be different from the externalizing regulation associated with rhythm‐based musical arousal (i.e., danceability). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the experience and role of negative emotions in facilitating university students' learning in world music courses. Based on a review of literature in music psychology and music education, we posit that negative emotions can engender a meaningful learning context. In this project conducted in an Australian university, we created a condition in which students were engaged in repeated listening to recordings of music from cultures different from their own, which they reported as sounding "unpleasant." We then analysed how they overcame emotional responses through a listening exercise. The findings suggest that the students developed enhanced motivation and cognitive reflection by facing their own negative emotions through repeated listening. The article finishes with a discussion about the positive side of negative emotions and the negative side of positive emotions as they relate to music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GROOVE AND CATCHINESS ARE CENTRAL PROPERTIES of popular music that frequently appear together. Yet, a possible relationship has neither been postulated nor examined. In music psychology, groove is commonly understood as a pleasurable urge to move. Catchiness is often tied to the memorability of music, but it is less researched, and definitions are elusive. In this study, we conducted stimuli-guided expert interviews with popular music creators to unveil their understandings of groove and catchiness based on their experiential, practical, and artistic knowledge. These insights allowed us to expand the ontologies of groove and catchiness. We found that groove consists of a bodily experience and positive affect, with participation, immersion and social aspects playing a part as well. We propose catchiness as a multi-dimensional quality that depends on the listener’s perception and experience of music, in which memorization and positive affect are central, and engagement, immediacy, and clarity are other aspects. We found considerable overlap in groove- and catchiness-promoting structures, and hypothesize that they positively interact and support each other, with some exceptions. The perspective of music creators, our detailed discussion of the ontologies, and the hypothesized relationship can broaden the psychological concepts, help with the explanation of previous, and inspire future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic disease in a child, with the associated hospital stays, places considerable demands on the child and their family. The aim of this study was to investigate the parents' perceptions of the music therapy used with their child during a hospital stay and to determine whether they felt that it reduced the child's anxiety and stress generated by hospital admission. We hypothesized that the use of live music therapy from a music therapist would positively support these patients in everyday clinical practice, promote their wellbeing, and have positive impacts on their vital signs and blood pressure. Children with chronic gastroenterological and nephrological diseases included in this prospective study received live music therapy with a median duration of 41 min (range from 12 to 70 min) two to four times per week until discharged from the hospital. At the time of discharge, the parents were asked to complete a Likert-style questionnaire to evaluate the music therapy. Seven items were related to general questions about the patients and sessions, and eleven items evaluated the personal perceptions of the parents. Music therapy was conducted in 83 children, with a median age of 3 years (range from 1 month to 18 years). All parents (100%) completed the questionnaire at the time of discharge. Seventy-nine percent of the parents stated that their children were able to enjoy the music therapy sessions without being stressed. In addition, 98% of the respondents said that they were grateful for the music therapy their children received (97% fully agreed and 1% rather agreed). All parents considered music therapy to be beneficial for their child. The parents' responses reflected the view that music therapy is beneficial to patients. According to the parents, music therapy can be integrated effectively in the inpatient clinical setting and can support children with chronic illnesses during their hospital stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music-related decision-making encompasses a wide range of behaviours including those associated with listening choices, composition and performance, and decisions involving music education and therapy. Although research programmes in psychology and economics have contributed to an improved understanding of music-related behaviour, historically, these disciplines have been unconnected. Recently, however, researchers have begun to bridge this gap by employing tools from behavioural economics. This article contributes to the literature by providing a discussion about the benefits of using behavioural economics in music-decision research. We achieve this in two ways. First, through a systematic review, we identify the current state of the literature within four key areas of behavioural economics—heuristics and biases, social decision-making, behavioural time preferences, and dual-process theory. Second, taking findings of the literature as a starting point, we demonstrate how behavioural economics can inform future research. Based on this, we propose the Behavioural Economics of Music (BEM), an integrated research programme that aims to break new ground by stimulating interdisciplinary research in the intersection between music, psychology, and economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The June 2024 issue of Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts features 15 articles and four book reviews. The articles cover a range of topics, including audience and viewer responses to visual arts, the effects of savoring art on well-being, emotional experiences in art museums, emotional responses to art viewed online, artistic personality and career, creativity enhancement, creativity measurement, and more. The book reviews discuss various books on art education, neuroaesthetics, visual metaphors, and the psychology and neuroscience of music. The journal is excited to announce an increase in page count per year, allowing for more scientific research on aesthetics, creativity, and art. [Extracted from the article]

Currently, research mainly focuses on the effects of happy music on the subjective assessment of cognitive reappraisal, but relevant results of the neural mechanism are lacking. By analysing the functional connectivity of microstates based on electroencephalography (EEG), we investigated the effect of cognitive reappraisal combined with happy music on emotional regulation and the dynamic characteristics of brain functional activities. A total of 52 healthy college students were divided into music group and control group. EEG data and behavioural scores were collected during an experiment of cognitive reappraisal combined with happy music. The dynamic time window of the brain functional network was determined by microstate analysis, and the metrics of functional connectivity, clustering coefficient (Cp) and characteristic path length (Lp), were calculated based on the phase-locked value. The arousal of cognitive reappraisal significantly increased (p = 0.005) in music group, but the valence did not change significantly. This suggested that happy music did not affect emotional regulation from the behavioural perspective. Four microstate global templates (A–D) were determined. With happy music, the duration (p = 0.043) and Lp (p = 0.033) of microstate B increased significantly, indicating that the transfection efficiency of the brain network decreased, reflecting a negative effect on cognitive reappraisal. The duration (p = 0.017) of microstate D decreased and of Cp (p < 0.001) increased significantly, indicating that the local information-processing ability of the brain network increased. We conclude that happy music can change the characteristics of brain functional networks and have a positive effect on cognitive reappraisal in specific period. The research provides a certain electrophysiological basis for applying happy music to cognitive reappraisal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing customer store loyalty is a vital issue for retailers because maintaining an existing customer costs less than attracting a new customer in the service industry. We conducted an empirical study to examine the connections between store music, customers' negative emotion, and store loyalty. Data were collected through a paper-and-pencil survey of 405 customers who were shopping at a supermarket located in a major metropolitan area in China. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Results showed that store music indirectly affected customers' store loyalty through negative emotion. That is, store music inhibited negative emotion, thereby enhancing store loyalty. The findings will assist managers in understanding the effect of store music on customers' loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational feasibility is a widespread concern that guides the framing and modeling of natural and artificial intelligence. The specification of cognitive system capacities is often shaped by unexamined intuitive assumptions about the search space and complexity of a subcomputation. However, a mistaken intuition might make such initial conceptualizations misleading for what empirical questions appear relevant later on. We undertake here computational‐level modeling and complexity analyses of segmentation — a widely hypothesized subcomputation that plays a requisite role in explanations of capacities across domains, such as speech recognition, music cognition, active sensing, event memory, action parsing, and statistical learning — as a case study to show how crucial it is to formally assess these assumptions. We mathematically prove two sets of results regarding computational hardness and search space size that may run counter to intuition, and position their implications with respect to existing views on the subcapacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]