Psychology of Music

Education
LINDA KIEKEL
MARCH 21, 2023
Behaviorism

Three Essential Claims

1. Psychology should only study observable behavior
2. Behavior is determined only by the environment
3. Mental terms and concepts should be replaced with behavioral
terms and concepts

 The mind is a blank white canvas.

Behaviorism

Application to Education
 Rewards and consequences for behavior
 Useful for teaching skills
 Produces results quickly
 Easier when teaching large groups of students
Constructivism

Piaget
 Four stages of cognitive development:
1. Sensory Motor
2. Pre-operational
3. Concrete Operational
4. Formal Operational
 Application: Have appropriate expectations
Constructivism

Vygotsky – Zone of Proximal Development

 Describes what a student can achieve with support
 Expands as the learner gains mastery
 Application: understand what the student can accomplish independently or
with help
Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Six levels of cognitive thinking
 Application: National Core Arts Standards
Constructivism

Gestalt Theory
 Assumes that humans perceive things in their simplest forms
 Three conclusions
1. Active learners
2. Learners process and restructure data
3. Experience, needs, and attitude all effect perception

 Application: whole-part-whole
Music Teaching: Constructivist or
Behaviorist?

 Music teaching is naturally behaviorist

 Constructivist teaching involves the students at every level of the learning
process
 Separate musical thinking and music making = behaviorism
 Constructivist teacher’s role – teacher/conductor
• Allowing the students to make decisions, reflect
• Questions!
Music Learning Theory (MLT)

 Language and music are learned in the same way

 Focus on awareness of tonality and meter
 Audiation and Improvisation
 Students should be taught musical understanding
 Application:
• some patterns, developing audiation
• While the promised results are constructivist, the methods are behaviorist
 Works Cited

Armstrong, P. (2010). Bloom's taxonomy. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved March 16, 2023 from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/blooms-

taxonomy/

Eun. (2019). The zone of proximal development as an overarching concept: A framework for synthesizing Vygotsky's theories. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 51(1),

18–30. /content/enforced/202010/1793660-202310MUS-775-NT1-24373/Zone of Proximal Development_Eun.pdf

Garnett, J. (2013). Beyond a constructivist curriculum: A critique of competing paradigms in music education. British Journal of Music Education, 30(2), 161-175.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0265051712000575

Gordon, E. E. (2012). Learning sequences in music. Independent Publishers Group (Chicago Review Press). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781622773329

Gordon, E. E. & Reimer, B. (1994, April 8). The Reimer/Gordon debate on music learning: Complementary or contradictory views? [Speech audio recording]. Edwin E.

Gordon Archive. https://guides.library.sc.edu/c.php?g=1095063&p=8821699

Graham, G. (2019). Behaviorism. In The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved March 13, 2023 from

https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2019/entries/behaviorism/

Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved March

16, 2023 from http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html

Shively. (2015). Constructivism in music education. Arts Education Policy Review, 116(3), 128–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2015.1011815

Todorovic, D. (2008). Gestalt principals. In Scholarpedia (Vol. 3(12), pp. 5345). http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Gestalt_principles

Lamon, M. (n.d). Learning Theory: Constructivist Approach. Web Solutions LLC. Retrieved March 13, 2023 from

https://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2174/Learning-Theory-CONSTRUCTIVIST-APPROACH.html

Zentz, D. M. (1992). Music learning: Greater than the sum of its parts. Music Educators Journal, 78(8), 33–36. https://doi.org/10.2307/3398405
Cartoon credits

Slide 2: https://sites.google.com/a/my.msmc.edu/monaco-professional-
portfolio/home/behaviorism
Slide 3: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Etude-No-1-When-Teacher-Speaks-
4168116
Slide 4: https://makeameme.org/meme/piaget-i-dont
Slide 5: https://technolandy.wordpress.com/2020/09/23/day-12-of-190-a-pop-up-of-zone-of-
proximal-development-%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F-vygotsky-with-thanks-again-to-garydelainey-
gerry-rasmussen/
Slide 6: Connor Costello on Pinterest
Slide 7: ADSS Music on Facebook
Slide 8: https://www.memecreator.org/meme/to-learn-music-one-must-first-understand-what-
music-is/