Module manager: Dr Freya Bailes
Email: f.bailes@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2026/27
MUSS3940
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module considers the ways in which research and researchers can, and/or should be, advancing music psychology as a discipline. You will explore current topics and concerns in music psychology research and the ways in which they interact with local, national and global concerns and priorities. You will consider what’s new in music psychology and critically discuss what the motivators/priorities/methods should be in developing the field for the future.
This module aims to develop your ability to engage critically with contemporary debates, developments, and approaches in the field of music psychology, with a focus on societal, cultural and global impact. Interactive classes on a range of current and controversial topics will help you to hone the skills required to reflect on your positionality and influence as a critically and ethically aware music psychology researcher, and to formulate evidence-informed suggestions for the future advancement of the discipline.
On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:
1. Apply knowledge and skills creatively to academic contexts and to topics relevant in our world
2. Critically evaluate methodologies used in the study of music psychology
3. Examine current topics in music psychology research and the ways in which they interact with concerns and priorities in our world
4. Address the ethical implications of empirical research in music psychology
5. Show critical judgement in the selection and use of relevant research and resources
6. Communicate ideas in precise, organised and accessible ways
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Lecture | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Seminar | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Independent online learning hours | 1 | ||
| Private study hours | 181.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 17.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
A 1-hour seminar will be devoted to the collective development of assessment ideas within the first half of the module, with formative feedback from peers and staff. Individual 30-minute tutorials will be provided during the second half of the module to support each student’s work on their summative assignment.
Students will receive additional formative feedback through their interaction with online tutorial materials relating to the use of APA style guidelines to present their work.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Assignment | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 05/02/2026
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