News about our multi-disciplinary research on aesthetic evaluation and perception of art. #EmpiricalAesthetics
Joined March 2017
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449 Photos and videos
New study: A research team involving members of our Institute has shown that our brains process musical structures independently of their temporal regularity.
Read the full paper in @EJNeuroscience: doi.org/10.1111/ejn.70481
ALT Photo of a hand holding headphones with musical notes in the background.
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Is there a link between listening to music and mental health? @laurawesseldijk, Fredrik Ullén, and Miriam A. Mosing found that the connection is not as clear-cut.
Read the full paper in Journal of Affective Disorders Reports: doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2026.…
ALT Stylized picture of a person listening to music, surrounded by symbols such as rain clouds and the sun.
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Why are women considered the “fairer sex” when, in most animal species, it is the males that are more striking? This question leads to a new study on factors influencing our assessment of attractiveness. Out now in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.03…
ALT Auf dem Foto sind ein Tiger, ein Löwe, eine Frau und ein Mann zu sehen.
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Thinking Design: Christopher Dell on musical spatial thinking—with insights into his current studies.
📅 June 08, 2026
🕕 6:30 p.m
📍 MPIEA ArtLab Foyer, Frankfurt am Main
🎟️ Free admission; the talk will be held in English
More info: s.gwdg.de/RV4kGe
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How do we tell the difference between a human voice and a computer-generated one?
A recent study shows that our perception depends not only on the quality of the voice, but also on the content and our own language skills.
Out now: s.gwdg.de/DmhxAi
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Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics retweeted
The question I get most after talks about music and mental health: "But what about people who just listen to music?" Most of us never pick up an instrument, we engage with music through listening... New paper on music listening, mental health & genetics doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2026.…
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Neuroscience, music, and exciting discussions at the CoBIC Scientific Opening Symposium: From April 20 to 21, 2026, renowned international speakers provided two days of fascinating presentations and scientific exchange.
Many thanks to all guests and partners!
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What makes a design a classic?
At our Library Talks with Viktoria Heinrich, we explored how objects like the Ulm Stool or Mayday lamp carry stories and become icons over time.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to such a great evening!
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The first talk of our Thinking Design series is approaching: On April 23, Anke Haarmann from Leiden University (NL) will discuss “Epistemological Aesthetics: How Practices of Design Lead to Insights.” Join us on at 6:30 p.m. in our ArtLab Foyer. More info: s.gwdg.de/gKAjol
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The #CoBIC Scientific Opening Symposium — two days of scientific exchange, fresh ideas, and collaboration with distinguished speakers.
📍 Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main
📅 April 20-21, 2026
Click here to register: indico.ae.mpg.de/event/39/
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During our next LibraryTalk, Design Historian Viktoria Lea Heinrich will talk about displaying design objects in museums and how to convey their history and meaning. Join us!
April 16, 2026, 6 p.m.
MPIEA Library, Frankfurt am Main
Talk in German
More: ae.mpg.de/LibraryTalks
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We’re excited to launch our discussion series Thinking Design! As part of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026, we explore how design shapes perception and generates knowledge.
Join us for 6 talks running from April to November.
More info: ae.mpg.de/ThinkingDesign-en
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Unfortunately, the concert had to be canceled at the last minute for health reasons. Further information will be provided in due course.
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At the “Creative Musical Dialogues Between Humans and Machines” concert, pianists David Dolan and Fredrik Ullén will improvise live with the AI system JHAIMI, which was developed by Oded Ben-Tal.
📍 Tuesday, March 31, 2026, MPIEA
More info & registration: ae.mpg.de/musicaldialogues
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Unfortunately, the concert had to be canceled at the last minute for health reasons. Further information will be provided in due course.
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#FrankfurtHatHirn – Live took place yesterday evening at jugend-kultur-Kirche sankt peter in Frankfurt. Our booth and flash talks by Julia F. Christensen and Sophie Perizonius offered insights into our research on the human brain.
Thanks to everyone making this event possible!
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We’re hiring!📢
We are offering a postdoctoral position at the Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology.
More information here: ae.mpg.de/7teslajob
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An evening of conversations and inspiration.
At #LibraryTalks, we discussed with Thomas Meinecke the intersections of his novels and music, a collective writing processes with the audience, and an AI that recognizes itself in the title “I as Text.”
Thanks to everyone involved!
ALT Impressions from the LibraryTalks event.
ALT Impressions from the LibraryTalks event.
ALT Impressions from the LibraryTalks event.
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What influences our concert experienc🎵
Researchers at our Institute, with the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media and the University of Cologne, have found that the aesthetic experience varies depending on the concert format.
Read the Paper: doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-0…
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The study is part of the “Experimental Concert Research” project, which collects insights into concert experiences and music enjoyment.
More information on the research project: experimental-concert-researc…
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