PSY 4365 – Psychology of Music – Spring, 2005

Dr. Jay Dowling TA: Sarah Vahedipour

GR 4202 - 972-883-2059 GR 4808
e-mail: jdowling@utdallas.edu sarahutdallas@yahoo.com
Office Hours: TR 12:30-1:00pm Office Hours: TR 10:45-11.45

Beginning with the perceptual dimensions of musical sound, the course considers music and memory,
the organization of time, the emotions, the psychology of creativity, and music and the brain. No
particular musical experience is assumed. Some familiarity with experimental psychology (for example,
Introduction to Psychology) is recommended.

We will have two midterms and a final exam comprised of a variety of types of question: matching,
short-answer, essay, at a fairly general level. I will prepare study guides for the exams. We will also
divide into groups of 4 or 5 people, each preparing a presentation of a favorite piece of music with a
brief discussion of the ways in which it illustrates principles developed in the course. (We will devise a
method for group members to contribute, anonymously, to each other’s presentation grade.)
Grades will be based on presentations (10 %), participation (6 %), and exams (28 % each).

We will figure out early in the course what suitable convergences of interest of presentation groups
exist, and the presentations will take place at the end of class sessions during the last several weeks of
the semester. I will be available to consult with groups concerning their presentations, and I
recommend running your presentation by me as a useful step.

IMPORTANT: We will use the Blackboard website to provide you with course materials, etc.,
during the semester. This means you MUST have a currently active UTD NetID (e-mail address).
If you don’t have one, get one immediately. Access Blackboard by typing the following URL in the
address line of your browser: http://blackboard.utdallas.edu/. The Blackboard home page will give
you instructions for signing on. Note: If you don’t already have a password, click on ‘Forgot my
password’ and follow the sequence of instructions. You will be prompted to supply your e-mail
address. Once you have done this, the blackboard administrator will send you a URL, directing you
to a website where you can create a password.

One thing that will be posted on Blackboard right away is the following chapter, which you should
read as your first assignment:

Dowling, W. J. (2001). Perception of Music. In E. B. Goldstein (Ed.) Blackwell Handbook of Perception.

London: Blackwell, pp. 469-498. (ch)

We will also use the following textbook:

Dowling, W. J., & Harwood, D. L. (1986). Music Cognition. Orlando: Academic Press. [MC]

We will have some additional readings when we come to the topic of music and the brain.
SYLLABUS

date topic assignments

Jan 11 Overview ch
13 Dimensions of sound – frameworks

18 Pitch & Loudness MC 1-2

20

25 Pitch and musical scales MC 4

27 the framework for time

Feb 1 MIDTERM I
3 Timbre MC 3

8 Consonance & Dissonance

10

15 Memory for musical patterns MC 5

17

22 Melodic organization in time MC 6

24

Mar 1 Rhythm and temporal organization MC 7

3

7-12 SPRING BREAK

15 MIDTERM II
17 Auditory scene analysis

22 Emotion & meaning MC 8

24

29 Cultural contexts ` MC 9
31

Apr 5 Models of timing & the brain

7

12 Music & the brain

14

19
21

28 FINAL EXAM (You can start any time after 9:00am.)