Dynamic Aspects of Auditory Imagery for Music

Dr. Andrea Halpern studies cognitive processes such as memory and thinking, especially for nonverbal materials. Of particular interest to her is how musicians and nonmusicians understand and remember music. One recent project was an investigation of auditory imagery, or what is happening when you “hear a tune inside your head.” She has studied this using the traditional tools of experimental psychology, as well as with cognitive neuroscience techniques. She is also interested in how both normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease affect how people learn and remember music.