Manuel Anglada Tort

Manuel Anglada Tort

Lecturer

University of Oxford

Biography

I am a Lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead the Research Group Music, Culture, and Cognition (MCC). I am also a visiting researcher in the Computational Auditory Perception Group at Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. I am interested in understanding the psychological and cultural foundations of complex social behaviour such as music and aesthetics, and the role they play in human societies and cultural evolution. To explore this, my research combines computational methods, online data collection techniques, and innovative psychological paradimgs.

Interests
  • Auditory Perception and Cognition
  • Cultural Evolution
  • Collective Cognition
  • Empirical Aesthetics
  • Sonic Testing and Audiobranding
Education
  • PhD in Cognitive Science, 2020

    Technische Universität Berlin, Germany

  • MSc in Muisc, Mind, and Brain, 2015

    Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

  • BA in Psychology, 2013

    Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain

Experience

 
 
 
 
 
University of Oxford
Lecturer
Jan 2023 – Present Oxford, United Kingdom
 
 
 
 
 
Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics
Postdoctoral Researcher
Apr 2020 – Present Frankfurt am Main, Germany
 
 
 
 
 
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Lecturer in Psychology
Oct 2019 – Mar 2020 Berlin, Germany
 
 
 
 
 
soundOUT - Sonic Testing for Sound Branding
Research and Science Consultant
Feb 2018 – Apr 2020 London, UK
 
 
 
 
 
Audio Communication Group | Technische Universität Berlin
Doctoral Candidate
Sep 2017 – Jun 2020 Berlin, Germany

Research Areas

Auditory Perception and Cognition
I study how people from different backgrounds experience the auditory world and the impact of their mental representations on human cognition and behavior. I develop new methods to enable large-scale online experiments in complex domains, such as high-dimensional perceptual spaces and high-precision tasks where participants' productions are recorded through the web browser.
Cultural Evolution
I use iterated learning experiments to simulate cultural evolution in the lab using complex production modalities such, as tapping and singing. I am interested in how transmission biases shape the emergence of cultural artifacts and how differences in the distribution of cultural traits may depend on selection processes and underlying network structures.
Empirical Aesthetics
How do we experience beauty? Why does music move us? What are the main principles underlying popularity and fashion? I am interested on both the biological and cognitive foundations of sensory valuation and aesthetic experience, in particular of complex and abstract stimuli such as music and art.
Sonic Testing and Audio Branding
I use large-scale behavioral experiments to test and identify optimal sonic strategies to increase brand awareness and consumer engagement. I apply insights from consumer psychology to study how music and other auditory cues can convey core brand values and improve consumers’ interactions with products or services.