Conclusion: Progressing the state of the art of music psychology

Research from Western Europe tends to be better known and more frequently published than research from the Western Balkans. Various factors contribute to such imbalances of publication and recognition, including socio-economic, political, linguistic, and psychological, in the case of implicit biases. This book demonstrates the rich history of research in the psychology of music in the Western Balkans and aims to address power imbalances by explicitly promoting research from this region. In this concluding chapter, we argue for the opportunities offered by collaborative, interdisciplinary research to enable a more inclusive discipline of the psychology of music, with greater equality of contributions and embracing the diversity of knowledge and understanding. We reflect on the overlaps and differences between the research captured in this book, which originated in Western Europe and the Western Balkans. Whilst similarities and overlaps are most prevalent, subtle differences are also apparent in specific specialisms in knowledge development. Furthermore, contexts such as variations in systems and practices of music education and variations in musical preferences demonstrate the need for research to be situated rather than being assumed to be context-independent. This offers a tension for researchers to add to generalisable knowledge or develop context-dependent insights. Such tensions need to be first of all acknowledged in mainstream music psychology, highlighting the limitations of published research, and opening a larger platform for research from a diversity of regions, and cultural and research practices.