Caitlyn Marie Trevor
Quantitative & Qualitative Research Scientist
A mixed methods researcher with advanced programming and analysis skills, I design and direct efficient, comprehensive studies that pinpoint customer needs and pain-points.
While studying for a Bachelors degree in music, I discovered music cognition and fell in love with the process of conducting research. I then garnered eight years of research experience, first as a Research Associate while working on my PhD, then working as a Research Scientist in a neuroscience lab in Switzerland, and finally, by completing a Professional Certificate in User Research.
Through years of managing multiple research projects simultaneously, I’ve developed expertise in study design, participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and generating engaging final reports. I am practiced at communicating results as compelling, evidence-based narratives concluding with clear, impactful next-steps having published 10 peer-reviewed academic journal articles and given 20+ conference presentations.
My background in research and teaching has helped me transition seamlessly into the User Research field. I bring expertise in a breadth of UX methods including usability tests & interviews. My mission is to deeply understand people so that I can champion their needs and advocate for user-centered product development.
When I’m not interviewing users, you can find me hiking nearby trails or exploring botanical gardens with my daughter.
Peer-reviewed Journal Articles
Trevor, C., Fruehholz, S. (2024). Music as an evolved tool for socio-affective fiction. Emotion Review, 16(3), 180-194. (html) (pdf)
Trost, W., Trevor, C., Fernandez, N., Steiner, F., & Fruehholz, S. (2024). Live music stimulates the affective brain and emotionally entrains listeners in realtime. PNAS, 120(10), e2316306121. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C., Renner, M., & Fruehholz, S. (2023). Acoustic and structural differences between musically portrayed subtypes of fear. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 153(1), 384-399. (html) (pdf)
Skjegstad, C. L., Trevor, C., Swanborough, H., Roswandowitz, C., Mokros, A., Habermeyer, E., & Fruehholz, S. (2022). Psychopathic and autistic traits differentially influence the neural mechanisms of social cognition from communication signals. Translational Psychiatry, 12, 494. (html)
Trevor, C., Devaney, J., & Huron, D. (2022). Musicians can reliably discriminate between string register locations on the violoncello. Music Perception, 40(1), 27-38. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Yackley A. (2021). Aural skills for upper position playing on low strings. American String Teacher, 71(4), 45-50. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C., Arnal, L., & Fruehholz, S. (2020). Terrifying film music mimics alarming acoustic feature of human screams. JASA Express Letters, 147(6), EL540-EL545. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Huron, D. (2018). Animated performance: 'Better' music means larger movements. Music Theory Online, 24(4), 6. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Huron, D. (2018). Are humoresques humorous? On the similarity between laughter and staccato. Empirical Musicology Review, 13(1–2), 66–77. (html) (pdf)
Huron, D. & Trevor C. (2016). Are stopped strings preferred in sad music? Empirical Musicology Review, 11(2), 261–269. (html) (pdf)
Conference Proceeding Articles
Trevor, C., Arnal, L., & Fruehholz, S. (2020). Scary music mimics alarming acoustic feature of human screams. Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Timbre (Timbre 2020), Thessaloniki (online), Greece, 14–16. (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Huron, D. (2016). Animated performance: ‘better’ music means larger movements. Proceedings for the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition, San Francisco, California, USA, 420–423. (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Huron, D. (2016). Are stopped strings preferred in sad music? Proceedings for the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition, San Francisco, California, USA, 578–581. (pdf)
Trevor, C. & Plazak J. (2016). Imprinting emotion on music: transferring affective information from sight to sound. Proceedings for the International Conference for Music Perception and Cognition, San Francisco, California, USA, 265–268. (pdf)
Non-peer-reviewed Publications
Trevor, C. & Fruehholz, S. (2021). The evolutionary benefit of less-credible affective musical signals for emotion induction during storytelling. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 44, E118. doi:10.1017/S0140525X20001004. (html)
Trevor, C. (2020). Methods of Measuring Musical Tension: Commentary on Teo (2020). Empirical Musicology Review, 15(1–2), 105-107. (html) (pdf)
Trevor, C. (2019, Spring/Summer). Methodological Considerations For Choreomusicology Influenced by Music Cognition. SEM Student News, 15(1), 14–17. (pdf)
Book Review
Trevor, C. (2021). Review of the book Music, Analysis, and the Body: Experiments, Explorations, and Embodiments, edited by N. Reyland & R. Thumpston. Music Theory Spectrum, 43(1), 172-180. (html) (pdf)
Research In Progress
Does scary music mimic biological voice signals of threat? (preregistration)