Alexandra Lamont

Biography

I came to Keele in 2001 primarily to teach on the MSc in Music Psychology and have been involved with postgraduate teaching and research ever since. I have studied and taught in the fields of music, education and psychology, and my interests are diverse. In psychology, my expertise lies in positive psychology, developmental psychology and in research methods, as well as my specialism in music psychology. I am also interested in musical development and music education, and in the sociology and psychology of music consumption.

My recent work has taken me into the international arena in both teaching and research. I led a transnational education programme between Keele and Ludong University in China, and was the School Internationalisation Director for Psychology and the Faculty Internationalisation Director for Natural Sciences between 2015 and 2020. I have a number of international research collaborations involving researchers from Germany, Spain, Italy, Finland and Australia. I bring this international perspective to the role of Director of the Keele Doctoral Academy, launched in 2020.

Research and scholarship

My research centres on issues of musical development and musical engagement across the lifecourse. I have carried out studies with infants in the laboratory, research with children at schools using a range of methods, and studies of adults both in laboratory settings and more often in real life contexts. My main research question is why and how people choose to engage with music. Why does a toddler respond well to a familiar piece of music? What can children learn about themselves through music? Why do we experience strong emotions in relation to music at festivals and live concerts? What kinds of social bonds are formed through active musical engagement? My research focuses on exploring these questions in everyday settings and placing musical experience in the wider context of people's lives.

I am currently leading a range of different projects:

exploring how musical memories are shaped and influenced from generation to generation, with Manuel Anglada-Tort, Don Knox and Helen Williams;
investigating how charitable donations of musical instruments impact on people's identities and wellbeing and how charity can support access to music in a range of challenging contexts, with Fiorella Montero-Diaz;
examining the ways in which people talk about their favourite music through analysis of Desert Island Discs, with Don Knox and Raymond MacDonald.

I am particularly interested in visiting internships, MSc and PhD proposals in areas that relate to these.

I am on the Editorial Board of the following journals: Psychology of Music, Music and Science, Music Education Research International, Music Performance Research, Educational Studies and the International Journal of Early Childhood. I have also served on the board of the British Journal of Music Education Research. I'm a Trustee of the Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (www.sempre.org.uk).

Teaching

Module leader:

PSY-30096 Happiness and Wellbeing: Social Scientific Approaches

Module team member:

PSY-30061 Final Year Psychology Project
PSY-30134 Making A Difference With Psychology
PSY-40038 Research Apprenticeship in Psychology
PSY-40045 Psychology Research Dissertation
PSY-40079 Advanced Study in Health Inequalities

Selected Publications

Lamont A and Crich J. 2022. Where do our music preferences come from? Family influences on music across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Popular Music Education, 25-43, vol. 6(1). doi> link> full text>
Lamont A. 2021. Making a Difference with Music Psychology Research: Strategy, Serendipity, and Surviving a Global Pandemic. Music & Science, Article 205920432110500, vol. 4. doi> link> full text>
Melia C, Kent A, Meredith J, Lamont A. 2021. Constructing and negotiating boundaries of morally acceptable alcohol use: A discursive psychology of justifying alcohol consumption. Addict Behav, 107057, vol. 123. link> doi> full text>
Rose SE, Lamont AM, Reyland N. 2022. Watching television in a home environment: effects on children's attention, problem solving and comprehension. MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY, 208-233, vol. 25(2). link> doi> full text>
Lamont A and Loveday C. A New Framework for Understanding Memories and Preference for Music. Music & Science, 1-14, vol. 3. doi> link> full text>

Full Publications Listshow

Books

Hargreaves D and Lamont A. 2017. The Psychology of Musical Development. Cambridge University Press. doi>
Thompson WF. 2014. Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences An Encyclopedia. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Berryman JC, Smythe PK, Taylor A, Lamont A, Joiner R. 2002. Developmental Psychology and You. BPS Blackwell, Oxford.
Coll H and Lamont A (Eds.). Sound Progress: Exploring Musical Development. The UK Association for Music Education - Music Mark.

Journal Articles

Lamont A and Crich J. 2022. Where do our music preferences come from? Family influences on music across childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Journal of Popular Music Education, 25-43, vol. 6(1). doi> link> full text>
Lamont A. 2021. Making a Difference with Music Psychology Research: Strategy, Serendipity, and Surviving a Global Pandemic. Music & Science, Article 205920432110500, vol. 4. doi> link> full text>
Melia C, Kent A, Meredith J, Lamont A. 2021. Constructing and negotiating boundaries of morally acceptable alcohol use: A discursive psychology of justifying alcohol consumption. Addict Behav, 107057, vol. 123. link> doi> full text>
Rose SE, Lamont AM, Reyland N. 2022. Watching television in a home environment: effects on children's attention, problem solving and comprehension. MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY, 208-233, vol. 25(2). link> doi> full text>
Lamont A and Loveday C. A New Framework for Understanding Memories and Preference for Music. Music & Science, 1-14, vol. 3. doi> link> full text>
Wright Bevans K, Murray M, Lamont A. 2020. Tensions in intergenerational practice guidance: intergroup contact versus community development. International Journal of Ageing and Later Life. doi> full text>
Lamont A. 2020. Moving towards music: Viewing early years musical engagement through the lenses of movement, interaction, motivation, agency, identity and context. International Journal of Music in Early Childhood, 25-38, vol. 15(1). doi> link> full text>
Sanfilippo KRM, Spiro N, Molina-Solana M, Lamont A. 2020. Do the shuffle: Exploring reasons for music listening through shuffled play. PLoS One, e0228457, vol. 15(2). link> doi> full text>
Dingle GA, Clift S, Finn S, Gilbert R, Groarke JM, Irons JY, Bartoli AJ, Lamont A, Launay J, Martin ES, Moss H, Sanfilippo KR, Shipton M, Stewart L, Talbot S, Tarrant M, Tip L, Williams EJ. 2019. An Agenda for Best Practice Research on Group Singing, Health, and Well-Being. Music & Science, 205920431986171, vol. 2. doi> link> full text>
Lamont A and Ranaweera NA. 2020. Knit One, Play One: Comparing the Effects of Amateur Knitting and Amateur Music Participation on Happiness and Wellbeing. APPLIED RESEARCH IN QUALITY OF LIFE, 1303-1322, vol. 15(5). link> doi> full text>
Hallett R and Lamont A. 2021. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of exercisers' use of music during workouts. PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC, 193-215, vol. 49(2). link> doi> full text>
Lamont A, Murray M, Hale R, Wright-Bevans K. 2018. Singing in later life: The anatomy of a community choir. PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC, 424-439, vol. 46(3). link> doi> full text>
Taylor J, Lamont A, Murray M. 2018. Talking about sunbed tanning in online discussion forums: Assertions and arguments. Psychol Health, 518-536, vol. 33(4). link> doi> full text>
Lamont AM, Murray M, Hale R, Wright Bevans K. 2017. Singing in later life: the anatomy of a community choir. Psychology of Music. doi> link>
Cogo-Moreira H and Lamont AM. 2017. Multidimensional measurement of exposure to music in childhood: Beyond the musician/ non-musician dichotomy. Psychology of Music, 459-472, vol. 46(4). doi> link> full text>
Cogo-Moreira H and Lamont A. 2018. Multidimensional measurement of exposure to music in childhood: Beyond the musician/non-musician dichotomy. PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC, 459-472, vol. 46(4). link> doi>
Taylor J, Murray M, Lamont A. 2017. Talking about sunbed tanning: Social representations and identity-work. Soc Sci Med, 161-168, vol. 184. link> doi> full text>
Barros CG, Swardfager W, Moreno S, Bortz G, Ilari B, Jackowski AP, Ploubidis G, Little TD, Lamont A, Cogo-Moreira H. 2017. Assessing Music Perception in Young Children: Evidence for and Psychometric Features of the M-Factor. Front Neurosci, 18, vol. 11. link> doi> full text>
Hallett R and Lamont A. 2017. Music Use in Exercise: A Questionnaire Study. MEDIA PSYCHOLOGY, 658-684, vol. 20(4). link> doi> full text>
Hallett R and Lamont A. 2019. Evaluation of a motivational pre-exercise music intervention. J Health Psychol, 309-320, vol. 24(3). link> doi> full text>
Lamont. What Else Can Music Preferences do? A Commentary on Clark and Giacomantonio. Empirical Musicology Review. full text>
Lamont. What Else Can Music Preferences do? A Commentary on Clark and Giacomantonio. Empirical Musicology Review. full text>
Hallett R and Lamont AM. 2014. How do gym members engage with music during exercise?. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. doi> full text>
Greasley A, Lamont A, Sloboda J. 2013. Exploring Musical Preferences: An In-Depth Qualitative Study of Adults' Liking for Music in Their Personal Collections. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY, 402-427, vol. 10(4). link> doi>
Lamont AM, Greasley A, Sloboda J. 2013. Exploring musical preferences: An in-depth qualitative study of adults’ liking for music in their personal collections. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 402-427, vol. 10(2).
Lamont A. 2012. Emotion, engagement and meaning in strong experiences of music performance. PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC, 574-594, vol. 40(5). link> doi>
Lamont A, Daubney A, Spruce G. 2012. Singing in primary schools: case studies of good practice in whole class vocal tuition. BRITISH JOURNAL OF MUSIC EDUCATION, 251-268, vol. 29(2). link> doi>
Lamont A. 2011. The beat goes on: music education, identity and lifelong learning. Music Education Research, 369-388, vol. 13(4). doi>
Lamont A and Eerola T. 2011. Music and emotion: Themes and development. MUSICAE SCIENTIAE, 139-145, vol. 15(2). link> doi>
Lamont A. 2011. University students' strong experiences of music: Pleasure, engagement, and meaning. Musicae Scientiae: the journal of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music, 229-249, vol. 15(2). doi>
Greasley AE and Lamont A. 2011. Exploring engagement with music in everyday life using experience sampling methodology. MUSICAE SCIENTIAE, 45-71, vol. 15(1). doi>
Lamont AM and Webb R. 2010. Short- and long-term musical preferences: What makes a favourite piece of music?. Psychology of Music, 222-241, vol. 38(2). doi>
LAMONT A and HEYE A. 2010. Mobile listening situations in everyday life: The use of MP3 players while travelling. Musicae Scientiae, 95-120, vol. 14(1). doi>
Lamont A. 2009. The Social and Applied Psychology of Music. MUSICAE SCIENTIAE, 463-466, vol. 13. link> doi>
LAMONT AM and Maton K. 2008. Choosing music: Exploratory studies into the low uptake of music GCSE. Journal of Music Education, 267-282, vol. 25(3). doi>
Lamont A. 2008. The child as musician: A handbook of musical development. MUSICAE SCIENTIAE, 169-171, vol. 12. link> doi>
LAMONT AM. 2008. Young children’s musical worlds: musical engagement in 3-5-year-olds. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 247-261, vol. 6(3). doi>
Leighton G and Lamont A. 2006. Exploring children's singing development: do experiences in early schooling help or hinder?. Music Education Research, 311-330, vol. 8(3). doi>
Lamont AM. 2005. What do monkeys' music choices mean?. Trends Cogn Sci, 359-361, vol. 9(8). link> doi>
Lamont A. 2003. Toddlers' Musical Preferences: Musical Preference and Musical Memory in the Early Years. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 999, 518-519. doi>
Lamont A, Hargreaves DJ, Marshall NA, Tarrant M. 2003. Young people's music in and out of school. British Journal of Music Education, 229-241, vol. 20(3). doi>
Lamont A. 2002. Musical development and learning: The international perspective. PSYCHOLOGIST, 138, vol. 15. link>
Lamont A and Dibben N. 2001. Motivic Structure and the Perception of Similarity. Music Perception, 245-274, vol. 18(3). doi>

Chapters

Lamont AM, Greasley AE, Sloboda JA. 2016. Choosing to hear music: motivation, process and effect. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (2nd edition). Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lamont AM. 2016. Musical development from the early years onwards. In Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (2nd Edition). Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lamont AM and Greasley AE. 2016. Musical preferences. In Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology (2nd Edition). Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lamont AM and Greasley AE. 2013. Keeping it fresh: How listeners regulate their own exposure to familiar music. In Music and Familiarity. King E and Prior H (Eds.). Ashgate.
Murray M and Lamont A. 2012. Community music and social/health psychology: Linking theoretical and practical concerns. In Music, health, & wellbeing. MacDonald R, Kretuz G, Mitchell L (Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. link> link>
Lamont AM. 2011. Negotiating music in the real world: Development, motivation, process and effect. In Music and the Mind: Investigating the functions and processes of music. A book in honour of John Sloboda. Deliege I and Davidson JW (Eds.). Oxford University Press.
Lamont AM and Maton KA. 2010. Unpopular Music: Beliefs and behaviours towards music in education. In Sociology and Music Education. Wright R (Ed.). Ashgate.
Sloboda J, LAMONT AM, Greasley AE. 2009. Choosing to hear music: motivation, process and effect. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
LAMONT AM. 2009. Music in the school years. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
LAMONT AM and Greasley AE. 2009. Musical Preferences. In The Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology. Hallam S, Cross I, Thaut M (Eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lamont A. 2002. Music education and research. In Aspects of Teaching Secondary Music: Perspectives on Practice. Spruce G (Ed.). Routledge Falmer, London.
Lamont A. 2002. Music psychology and the secondary music teacher. In Teaching Music in Secondary Schools: A Reader. Spruce G (Ed.). Routledge Falmer, London.
Lamont A. 2002. Musical identities and the school environment. In Musical Identities. MacDonald RAR, Hargreaves DJ, Miell DE (Eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Lamont AM. Developing, supporting and sustaining musical identities. In The Oxford Handbook of Musical Identities. MacDonald RAR, Hargreaves DJ, Miell DE (Eds.). Oxford University Press.

Roles

Director of the Keele Doctoral Academy
Chair of University Research Degrees Committee
Special Interest Leader (Qualitative Research Forum)

PhD students

I welcome applications from students who wish to undertake PhD or MPhil postgraduate research studies. I am an experienced supervisor and examiner: I have supervised 11 students through to completion, two more to submission, and am currently working with three more. I have also served as an external examiner for 17 different students’ PhD theses around the world, and in my current role as Director of the Keele Doctoral Academy I am leading the work of the university in supporting postgraduate research students.

My research interests, as indicated on the Research and Scholarship tab, are in the psychology of music: these centre on musical memory, preferred music, and musical identities, but I am also interested in broader topics in music psychology such as music performance, amateur music-making, music listening in a range of settings, and musical development. I have a secondary line of research interest in health, happiness and wellbeing, as I teach a final year undergraduate programme in this area and have carried out research in how music and other creative activities can boost wellbeing. I’m interested in creative ideas that bring together different areas and can also give suggestions for suitable potential projects.

I am keen to explore ideas in all of these areas with potential students. Do please get in touch with me at a.m.lamont@keele.ac.uk to discuss your own ideas prior to making an application.

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Professor Alexandra Lamont