Paul R. Farnsworth
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Paul R. Farnsworth | |
|---|---|
 Paul R. Farnsworth, circa 1960s | |
| Born | August 15, 1899 Waterbury, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | October 27, 1978 (aged 79) |
| Education | Ohio State University |
| Partner | Helen née Cherington |
| Children | 2 |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | Stanford University |
| Thesis | Ending preferences and apparent pitch of a combination of tones (1925) |
| Doctoral advisor | Albert Paul Weiss |
Paul R. Farnsworth (August 15, 1899 – October 27, 1978) was an American music psychologist. He had a forty-year career at Stanford University where he researched the psychology of music preference. In addition to authoring three books, he was the editor of the Annual Review of Psychology from 1955 to 1968.
Paul Randolph Farnsworth was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, on August 15, 1899[1] to parents Hiland R. and Elizabeth M. Farnsworth.[2] He grew up in Ohio, and attended Sandusky High School.[1] He then attended the Ohio State University, where he majored in psychology. He remained at Ohio State to complete a master's degree and a PhD, graduating in 1925 under advisor Albert Paul Weiss.[3]
Career
In 1925, Farnsworth accepted a teaching position at Stanford University. He largely remained at Stanford for the rest of his career, aside from brief visiting scholar stints at Ohio State University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin.[3] During World War II, he served as the acting chair of the psychology department. During his research career, he studied the formation of music preference. He retired from Stanford in 1964.[3]
Farnsworth was the editor of the Annual Review of Psychology from 1955 to 1968.[4] He authored three books: Social Psychology (1936), Musical Taste: Its Measurement and Cultural Nature (1950), and The Social Psychology of Music (1958). The last title was translated into Japanese and German, and was republished in two editions, the last in 1969.[3]
