Abstract
This paper describes a model of how musicians make decisions about performing notated music. The model builds on psychological theories of decision-making and was developed from empirical studies of Western art music performance that aimed to identify intuitive and deliberate processes of decision-making, a distinction consistent with dual-process theories of cognition. The model proposes that the proportion of intuitive (Type 1) and deliberate (Type 2) decision-making processes changes with increasing expertise and conceptualizes this change as movement along a continually narrowing upward spiral where the primary axis signifies principal decision-making type and the vertical axis marks level of expertise. The model is intended to have implications for the development of expertise as described in two main phases. The first is movement from a primarily intuitive approach in the early stages of learning toward greater deliberation as analytical techniques are applied during practice. The second phase occurs as deliberate decisions gradually become automatic (procedural), increasing the role of intuitive processes. As a performer examines more issues or reconsiders decisions, the spiral motion toward the deliberate side and back to the intuitive is repeated indefinitely. With increasing expertise, the spiral tightens to signify greater control over decision type selection. The model draws on existing theories, particularly Evans’ (2011) Intervention Model of dual-process theories, Cognitive Continuum Theory Hammond et al. (1987), Hammond (2007), Baylor’s (2001) U-shaped model for the development of intuition by level of expertise. By theorizing how musical decision-making operates over time and with increasing expertise, this model could be used as a framework for future research in music performance studies and performance science more generally.
Highlights
In performance studies, the topic of decision-making is crucial to understanding how practitioners create and interpret
The study found a high percentage of intuitive decision-making, with approximately 82% of decisions made during performance categorized as intuitive
To further explain the model, we describe a typical path through various points in Figure 1 with reference to pertinent literature from psychology and music performance studies
Summary
The topic of decision-making is crucial to understanding how practitioners create and interpret. MOVEMENT TOWARD GREATER DELIBERATION Default-interventionist views of dual-process theories like Evans’ (2011) Intervention Model predict default responses to be intuitive We incorporate these differences within Type 1 processes through an upward arrow showing that performers use more procedural decision-making processes (a subset of intuitive) with increasing expertise. This is the result of the semicircular movement of deliberate decisions becoming automatic at each successive level of the spiral. An expert performer of a certain repertoire will have a tighter spiral at the base in comparison to repertoire they are not familiar with, and a performer with an intuitive cognitive style or learning strategy will spiral more along the intuitive side in comparison to a performer who favors deliberate strategies
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