Makiko Sadakata
Assistant Professor in Cognitive Musicology
Makiko Sadakata is a lecturer at the musicology department of the University of Amsterdam. She is one of the core research members at the Music Cognition Group (MCG) at the Institute for Logic, Language and Computation. Her research revolves around the question of what music is to our mind and how it differs from other sounds, such as language and environmental sounds. To address this question she uses various methods, but mainly behavioural. Makiko is also involved in different research projects and topics with the keywords: sound learning, rhythm perception, and background music. Besides, Makiko enjoys teaching music cognition. She learns so much from preparing courses but also from supervising students. Currently, she is teaching several courses related to music cognition and research skills at the University of Amsterdam
Latest publications
Li, J., van Baalen, C. C., Baker, D. J., Burgoyne, J. A., Han, H., Henry, N., Lostanlen, V., Sadakata, M., van der Vlist, M. M. C., van Schaik, F. T. M., Janmaat, K. R. L., & Honing, H. (2026). Auditory Cue-weighting in BaYaka Forest-Foragers and Western Listeners. Center for Open Science.
DOI
10.31234/osf.io/jr3cy_v1
Sadakata, M., Nobbe Smyth, M., van ’t Veer, M., & Tanaka, A. (2026). Pitch accent speakers exhibit speech-to-song transformation accompanied by reduced musicality ratings: a cross-linguistic study. Psychological Research, 90(2).
DOI
10.1007/s00426-026-02262-0
Timmers, R., Peck, L. S. L., Arthurs, Y., & Sadakata, M. (2026). Introducing and testing a Bayesian emotions-in-music model (BEiMM): a cross-cultural investigation of Japanese and UK younger and older listeners. Cognition and Emotion, 1–24.
DOI
10.1080/02699931.2026.2649306
Li, J., Baker, D. J., Burgoyne, J. A., Han, H., Henry, N., Lostanlen, V., Sadakata, M., {Van der Vlist}, M., {van Schaik}, {Frans T.M.} and K.R.L. Janmaat, & Honing, H. (2025). Is Pitch Indispensable for Music Recognition?: Robust Music Recognition Under Spectral and Temporal Degradations in BaYaka Hunter-Gatherers. https://www.icmpc2025.abcogmus.com/
Hiemstra, A., & Sadakata, M. (2024). Sentences used in the speech-to-song illusion: Comparisons of acoustic vowel space. Musicae Scientiae, 28(3), 520–538.
DOI
10.1177/10298649231224786
Bais, O. B., Bouwer, F. L., & Sadakata, M. (2023, August 24). Exact repetition is not needed for the Speech-to-song transformation.
Hiemstra, A., & Sadakata, M. (2023). Examining the Interaction Between Motor Development and Early Violin Learning. String Research Journal, 14(1), 23–39.
DOI
10.1177/19484992231195014
Sadakata, M., Weidema, J. L., Roncaglia-Denissen, M. P. M., & Honing, H. (2023). Correction: Parallel pitch processing in speech and melody: A study of the interference of musical melody on lexical pitch perception in speakers of Mandarin. PLOS ONE, 18(3), e0283262.
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0283262
Scarratt, R. J., Heggli, O. A., Vuust, P., & Sadakata, M. (2023). Music that is used while studying and music that is used for sleep share similar musical features, genres and subgroups. Scientific Reports, 13(1).
DOI
10.1038/s41598-023-31692-8
Media attention
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Testen hoe muzikaal je bent met ToontjeHogerFolia
Students
Coen van Baalen
Music Studies, UvA•2025
MSc Computational Science, UvA•2020
Anne Hiemstra
MA Music Studies, UvA•2020
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2019
Kanthida van Welzen
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2019
Eylul Turan
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2019
Gwylan Schreeren
Cognitive Neurobiology & Clinical Neurophysiology, UvA•2019
Abigail Golec
MA Music Studies, UvA•2019
Arjen Hilbers
MA Music Studies, UvA•2019
Maud Zweers
MA Music Studies, UvA•2019
Miguel Porter de Sousa
MA Music Studies, UvA•2019
Mrudula Arunkumar
MSc Cognitive Neuroscience, RU•2018
Heidi Järvikylä
MSc Cognitive Science UoM•2018
Tim Romer
AUC, UvA•2018
Sophie van Weeren
MA Musicology, UvA•2018
Melis Çetinçelik
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2017
Jeannette van Ditzhuijzen
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2017
Heidi Järvikylä
MSc Cognitive Science UoM•2017
Kristine Mitchell
MA Musicology, UvA•2017
Tim Romer
AUC, UvA•2017
Mercylyn Wiemer
BA Psychobiology, UvA•2017
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2016
MSc Brain & Cognitive Sciences, UvA•2016
Master of Logic, UvA•2016
Gerben Groeneveld
Master Musicology, UvA•2016
Master Musicology, UvA•2016
Mercylyn Wiemer
Master Psychology, UvA•2016
Drikus Roor
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
Heather Pinkham
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
Maartje Koning
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
Jessica Akkermans
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
Belle Edelman
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
Jurre Thuis
MA Musicology, UvA•2015
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