This book deals with the complex cognitive processes involved in understanding two "horizontal" aspects of music perception, melody and rhythm, both separately and together. Focusing on the tonal framework for pitch material in melodies, the first section provides evidence that mere exposure to music organized in a particular way is sufficient to induce the auditory system to prepare itself to receive further input conforming to the patterns already experienced. Its chapters also offer evidence concerning elaborations of those basic schemes that come about through specialized training in music. Continuing themes from the first section -- such as the hypothesis that melodies must be treated as integral wholes and not mere collections of elements -- the second section discusses the integration of melody and rhythm. In these chapters there is an underlying concern for clarifying the relation -- central to aesthetic questions -- between physical patterns of sound energy in the world and our psychological experience of them. The chapters in the third section provide excellent examples of the new, scientific literature that attempts to objectively study early musical abilities. Their data establish that infants and young children are far more perceptive and skilled appreciators of music than was thought a decade ago.

This translation of this classic text contains a balance of cultural and biological considerations. While arguing for the strong influence of exposure and of formal training on the way that music is perceived, Frances draws on the literature concerning the amusias to illustrate his points about the types of cognitive abstraction that are performed by the listener.

Careful data collection and analysis lies at the heart of good research, through which our understanding of psychology is enhanced. Yet the students who will become the next generation of researchers need more exposure to statistics and experimental design than a typical introductory course presents.
Experimental Design and Analysis for Psychology provides a complete course in data collection and analysis for students who need to go beyond the basics.
Acting as a true course companion, the text's engaging writing style leads readers through a range of often challenging topics, blending examples and exercises with careful explanations and custom-drawn figures to ensure even the most daunting concepts can be fully understood.
Opening with a review of key concepts, including probability, correlation, and regression, the book goes on to explore the analysis of variance and factorial designs, before moving on to consider a range of more specialised, but yet powerful, statistical tools, including the General Linear Model, and the concept of unbalanced designs.
Not just a printed book, Experimental Design and Analysis for Psychology is enhanced by a range of online materials, all of which add to its value as an ideal teaching and learning resource.
The Online Resource Centre features
For registered adopters:
Figures from the book, available to download.
Answers to exercises featured in the book.
Online-only Part III: bonus chapters featuring more advanced material, to extend the coverage of the printed book.
For students:
A downloadable workbook, featuring exercises for self-study.
SAS, SPSS and R companions, featuring program code and output for all major examples in the book tailored to these three software packages.