Empirical Aesthetics, Computational Cognitive Modeling, and Experimental Phenomenology: Methodological remarks on “Shaping and Co-Shaping Forms of Vitality in Music: Beyond Cognitivist and Emotivist Approaches to Musical Expressiveness” by Jin Hyun Kim

Abstract

The core ideas of the proposed framework for empirical aesthetics are interpreted as focusing on processes, interaction, and phenomenological experience. This commentary first touches on some methodological impediments to developing theories of processing and interaction, and emphasizes the necessity of computational cognitive modeling using robots to test the empirical adequacy of such theories. Further, the importance of developing and integrating phenomenological methods into current experimental research is stressed, using experimental phenomenology as reference. Situated cognition, affective computing, human-robot interaction research, computational cognitive modeling and social and cultural neuroscience are noted as providing relevant insight into the empirical adequacy of current theories of cognitive and emotional processing. In the near future these fields will have a stimulating impact on empirical aesthetics and research on music and the mind.