Attention Span & Music Perception

Susan Ledford ’13, Linsday Eller ’13, Brittany Silver ’12,  Spenser Robinson ’12, Kandace Griffin ‘13Faculty Sponsors: Dr. Richard Keen, Dr. Donald Scott, Dr. David Berry

Summer 2012

Susan Ledford ’13 and Lindsay Eller ’13 were awarded a grant by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) to spend a summer researching the effects of music on the brain. Mentored by psychology professor Dr. Rich Keen, visiting scholar Dr. Donald Scott, and music professor Dr. David Berry, the students conducted 15 sessions with human subjects.

The research process involved attaching electrodes to the subjects’ scalps, and then asking subjects to sit very still while playing music and monitoring their brain patterns. “We hope that our research will have application for music therapy, musicians, composers, educators, and ADHD treatment.” S

usan felt that the access to advanced EEG technology, as well as the personal mentorship, made it a rare and valuable experience. “This is advanced technology, and the equipment costs get very expensive. I am learning several procedures involving research, grant writing, lab procedures, and data analysis. But the best thing about this opportunity is being able to learn from people who are truly interested, who have that background in research.” “It’s one of those things that – it’s an opportunity that you’re not going to have at other colleges, especially small ones. It’s a great opportunity.”

Susan and her partners presented their research at the SCICU conference and the Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology conference in the spring of 2013.