Post by ChrisB on Aug 18, 2014 21:35:48 GMT
Goldsmiths College have an MSc course in 'Music, Mind and Brain' that carries out research into that sort of stuff. One of their activities is called The Earworm Project and I've been following its progress on and off for a few years now.
From the Earworm Project Website:
They're trying to answer some specific questions:
What features do typical earworm music tunes have in common? - Are some tunes naturally more 'sticky'?
What do people who frequently experience earworms have in common? - Are musicians or music lovers more vulnerable? What about people with different personality types?
What causes earworms? - Are some situations more 'high risk'? Can earworms have a purpose?
What cures earworms? - A database of 'earworm cures', supplied by kind members of the public. Is there a way to control your earworms? Do some people have a trick for silencing the stuck tune? Is there a melody or sound that you can play or imagine that knocks out an earworm without itself getting stuck?
They've been inviting people to help them answer these questions and have analysed huge numbers of tunes that were put forward as earworms by members of the public. There's a good article on the New Yorker website about the project. Anatomy of an Earworm
From the Earworm Project Website:
The term earworm originally comes from a translation of the German word 'Ohrwurm'. It refers to the experience of having a tune or a part of a tune stuck in your head. Often a person experiencing an earworm has no idea why a tune has popped into their head and has little control over how long it continues. Earworms are a really common phenomenon: A recent poll suggested over 90% of the population experience them at least once a week, so it seems like having the odd earworm is perfectly normal. But 15% of people classified their earworms as "disturbing" [1] and in a different study one third of the people described their earworms as "unpleasant" - This means that although earworms are essentially harmless they can get in the way of what you are trying to do and can stop you from thinking straight.
Despite the prevalent nature of earworms and the potential impact they can have on our normal thought processes very little is known about what causes earworms, why they happen to some people more than others and why some tunes are more commonly heard as an earworm than others.
Despite the prevalent nature of earworms and the potential impact they can have on our normal thought processes very little is known about what causes earworms, why they happen to some people more than others and why some tunes are more commonly heard as an earworm than others.
What features do typical earworm music tunes have in common? - Are some tunes naturally more 'sticky'?
What do people who frequently experience earworms have in common? - Are musicians or music lovers more vulnerable? What about people with different personality types?
What causes earworms? - Are some situations more 'high risk'? Can earworms have a purpose?
What cures earworms? - A database of 'earworm cures', supplied by kind members of the public. Is there a way to control your earworms? Do some people have a trick for silencing the stuck tune? Is there a melody or sound that you can play or imagine that knocks out an earworm without itself getting stuck?
They've been inviting people to help them answer these questions and have analysed huge numbers of tunes that were put forward as earworms by members of the public. There's a good article on the New Yorker website about the project. Anatomy of an Earworm
