Bill Thompson

Prof Bill Thompson is a Professor at the Faculty of Society & Design, Bond University. His research focuses on cognitive psychology, particularly the cognitive, emotional, and cultural implications of music. He leads the Music Sound and Performance Lab, which has produced over 120 publications. Thompson holds a PhD in Psychology from Queen's University Kingston (1986) and has held roles such as Professor Emeritus at Macquarie University and visiting professorships at institutions like Harvard University and the University of British Columbia. His work explores music’s role in emotion, creativity, and neurological treatments, including dementia therapies.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology, Queen's University Kingston, 1986
• M.A. in Psychology, Queen's University Kingston, 1982
• B.Sc. in Psychology, McGill University

Research interests include musical creativity, music and emotion, and music’s therapeutic applications. His 2014 book Music, Thought and Feeling synthesizes influential research in this field. He has been awarded the title of Professor Emeritus by Macquarie University.

Key contributions include studies on acquired amusia and cross-cultural music perception. His recent work emphasizes emotion adaptability and situational context in music’s impact on psychological states.