Improving recall has been the goal of many scientific studies (Higbee, 2001; Lachman, Weaver, Bandura, Elliot, & Lewkowicz, 1992). As a result, a debate surfaced on the best method to achieve this goal. This study chose to focus on only two methods, emotional state and emotionally arousing words. One’s emotional state or mood is important to consider when exploring memory, because mood affects one’s recall of information (Happiness-Levine & Burgess, 1997; Thaut & l’Etoile, 1993). Music, depending on the type, can help induce or change one’s mood (Rickard, 2012). This is important because, music is apart of many of people’s daily lives. Students, especially, listen to music while they study a task that relies on one’s memory. Beyond just exploring mood, this study wanted to look at what type of word is best remembered. Previous research (Doerksen & Shimamura, 2001; LaBar & Phelps, 1998; Zimmerman & Kelley, 2010) found that people tend to recall and remember emotional words better than neutral non-emotional words. Building upon these findings is important because, if certain types of words were confirmed as inherently memorable then these words would be powerful. They could be used as powerful tools for writing memorable speeches, lectures, and advertisements. One’s mood working in conjunction with emotional words, could lead to effortless increase in one’s own ability to recall information
A recent study by Ferguson and Sheldon (2013) looked at inducing positive emotional states in their participants using classical music. In their study, participants listened to either 12 minutes of an upbeat “hedonically positive” classical music piece or a slow “hedonically ambiguous” classical music piece. Their results showed that participant...
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LaBar, K. S., & Phelps, E. A. (1998). Arousal-mediated memory consolidation: Role of the medial temporal lobe in humans. Psychological Science, 9(6), 490-493.
Lachman, M. E., Weaver, S. L., Bandura, M., Elliot, E., & Lewkowicz, C. J. (1992). Improving memory and control beliefs through cognitive restructuring and self-generated strategies. Journal of Gerontology, 47(5), P293-P299.
Salamé, P., & Baddeley, A. (1989). Effects of background music on phonological short-term memory. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 41(1), 107-122.
Thaut, M. H., & de l'Etoile, S. K. (1993). The effects of music on mood state-dependent recall. Journal of Music Therapy, 30(2), 70-80.
Zimmerman, C. A., & Kelley, C. M. (2010). “I’ll remember this!” Effects of emotionality on memory predictions versus memory performance. Journal of Memory and Language, 62(3), 240-253.
Music connects to the emotions present
Hess, T. M., Popham, L. E., Emery, L., & Elliott, T. (2011). Mood, motivation, and misinformation: aging and affective state influences on memory. Aging Neuropsychology and Cognition, 13-34. doi:10.1080/13825585.2011.622740
Atkinson, R.C. & Shiffrin, R.M. (1968). Human memory: A proposed system and its control process.
When someone creates a memory, especially one which is a flashbulb, they generally feel confident in what they remember. The events which are especially full of emotion are often recreated with vividness and confidence (Romeu, 2006). These memories however are no more accurate than an everyday memory (Weaver, 1993). Studies show people will forget flashbulb memories at the same rate as other memories. In a study from 2012, researchers looked at the effects of emotional intensity in regards to memory. The subjects were shown a collection of 60 photographs which contained 20 colored dots in the center of the photograph. After viewing the photographs the participants watched a neutral video for an hour and then were ...
4)Summary of Research at Stephen Maren's Emotion and Memory Systems Laboratory at the University of Michigan. http://maren1.psych.lsa.umich.edu/Research.html
Whether you’re a devoted music enthusiast or you just listen to the radio to pass time, we all listen to music. However, when listening to music, nobody stops to think about what they are doing. Nobody stops to contemplate how the music they are listening to affects them psychologically. We just listen to the music and enjoy ourselves. In fact however, a great deal of research has been done to determine the psychophysiological effects of music. Many studies have been conducted to determine whether music can help people who suffer from psychological and medical disorders, Scholars continually debate whether music can influence behavior, and researchers are attempting to understand what is happening in our brain when we listen to music.
This study discusses the implications of music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs). It aims to see if music can evoke more vivid memories than other cues. Researchers tested whether there was a difference between the popular music and pictures of famous people in evoking autobiographical memories. They also wanted to see if sex differences played a role in memory. Thirty participants were involved, 15 men and 15 women, between the ages of 30-72 years old. Music was picked from the top 20 hit songs from 1950-2013 and randomly selected for each participant based on the years when they were 15 to 30 years old. This age range was selected because it corresponds with the reminiscence bump, a period of time in which an individual’s retrieval
Music produces both emotional and physical responses (Clair & Memmott, 2008). It aids and improves social interaction, and provides effective communication and emotional expression. Music stimulates associations and triggers reminiscence. When experiencing recent inactivity, discomfort, and changes in
It is true that music has a compact link to our emotions. Music assists people to overcome the bad situations in their life, just like it did for Sonny, the barmaid, or some other people in the Harlem. Music has a tremendous effect on people’s minds because it makes them feel relaxed and comfortable, especially with the soft classical music. It helps distressed people stay smooth and peaceful. In fact, music is a remarkable way to ease stress.
No matter what you listen to, music has a way to “play with our emotions”. For example, if you listen to Tchaikovsky (classical) you may feel calm, and if you listen to Eminem (rap) you may feel hyper. If the music you listen to makes you feel good, it is good for you, Daniel Levitin, a Neuroscientist who focuses mainly on music, explains in an interview.
Vaidya, Geetanjali. "Music, Emotion and the Brain." Serendip. N.p., 2004. Web. 7 Jan 2012. .
Music and sounds have the power to effect one’s thoughts and emotions. Certain tones, pitches, lyrics, and melodies can invoke happiness, sadness, relief, and confidence. To achieve these emotions with music, many people find it helpful to enroll into music therapy. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals. These goals may be to manage stress, promote wellness, alleviate pain, enhance memory, or express feelings. Music therapy is widely used in hospital and other inpatient settings, furthermore in outpatient settings and personal use. It is studied in patients and family with cardiac issues, cancer, psychiatric cases, and as general palliative care, as well as other fields. It has been found that women preparing for labor received the greatest benefit of music therapy, followed by medical procedures and occupational stress. (Elliot, 2011)
Shafron, Gavin Ryan. "The Science and Psychology Behind Music and Emotion." The Journal of Young Investigators 20.5 (2010): n. pag. Print.
In conclusion towards the arguments and observations, musical expression consists in presenting emotion characteristics in appearance. It turns out people listen to music as having a purposeful nature and that it has an effect on psychological emotions. If there is a case in which music showing emotional qualities with no reference to feelings, there is a case of happy music that is not powerful of happiness.
Listening to music releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is known not only for improving mood but also increasing motivation and emotional stamina. But the benefits that come from listening to music affect more than just the way we feel. Studies have shown that when listening to the right style of music at the right decibel level, students have been able to concentrate better. For studying purposes, this mainly applies to classical music. Many school teachers and professors argue that music is simply distracting, or so stimulating that it inhibits a student’s ability to focus. However, when classical music has few words, or as is often found, few English words, the mind isn’t as easily distracted by the meaning or idea of the song. In fact, what is sometimes interpreted as chaotic in classical music can provide a high enough level of exertion for your brain to comprehend, that it stimulates high l...