Tanushree Agrawal

Assistant Professor of Psychology · Soka University

I study how people perceive, evaluate, and engage with art, beauty, and the social world. My research bridges social cognition and empirical aesthetics — investigating why music motivates prosocial behavior, how aesthetic engagement shapes our social and moral evaluations of others, and how humans extract nuanced meaning from everyday sounds.

I hold a B.A. in Cognitive Science and B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.St. in Musicology from the University of Oxford, and a Ph.D. from UC San Diego.

Email Google Scholar Soka Faculty Page

Research

My lab explores several interconnected themes at the intersection of social cognition and aesthetics.

Music, Morality, & Prosocial Behavior

Why does music motivate prosocial behavior? We investigate how perceiving others' musicality shapes moral judgments about them. Our work has shown that people judge musical entities as more wrong to harm, suggesting that reasoning about musicality is deeply interwoven with moral thought.

Abstract painting representing aesthetic appreciation research

Aesthetic Appreciation & Social Judgment

Do we view people differently when they are motivated by beauty? Our research examines how aesthetic motivation impacts social evaluations — finding that individuals who engage in activities for their intrinsic aesthetic value are judged as more emotionally sensitive, more compassionate, and less selfish than those doing the same activity for external goals.

Water being poured into a glass, representing auditory perception research

Cross-Modal Auditory Perception

How do humans extract nuanced meaning from everyday sounds? We study ecological approaches to auditory perception, including how people can determine properties like water temperature simply by listening. Our developmental work examines how these perceptual abilities emerge across childhood.

Teaching

I am passionate about mentoring undergraduate researchers and creating an inclusive classroom where students develop critical thinking skills through hands-on engagement with psychological science.

Courses at Soka University

Introduction to Psychology
Research Methods
Social Cognition

Social Cognition & Aesthetics Lab

Our lab at Soka University investigates the intersection of social cognition, aesthetics, and moral psychology.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

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Research Assistant

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Alumni

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Publications

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2023

Agrawal, T. & Schachner, A. Aesthetic motivation impacts judgments of others' prosociality and mental life. Open Mind, 7, 797–817.
DOI
Agrawal, T., Rottman, J., & Schachner, A. How musicality changes moral consideration: People judge musical entities as more wrong to harm. Psychology of Music, 51(2), 371–387.
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Agrawal, T. & Schachner, A. Hearing water temperature: Characterizing the development of nuanced perception of sound sources. Developmental Science, 26(3), e13321.
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2021

Shanahan, D., Agrawal, T., Huron, D., & Keller, K. Time-of-day practices echo circadian physiological arousal: An enculturated-embodied practice in Hindustani classical music. Musicae Scientiae.
DOI

Join the Lab

Undergraduate Research Assistants

We welcome Soka University undergraduate students who want to gain research experience. Research assistants help with study design, data collection, and analysis. To apply, please email Dr. Agrawal with:

Your CV or resume
A brief statement of your research interests (a few sentences is fine)
Your availability (hours per week, semesters)

Lab Values

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and intellectually stimulating research environment. We value curiosity, rigor, collaboration, and kindness. Lab members are encouraged to pursue their own research questions and to support one another's growth.