As we were saying yesterday, many individuals who took part in the project explained that they usually remember a certain song or part of a song when they face stressful situations. 

One woman said that by the age of 16, when she had become very stressed during final exams, she was literally “haunted” by a particular song (“Nathan Jones” by The Supremes) that has followed her into her adult life, especially during stressful periods such as her wedding day and the birth of her first child.

Scientific Observation

After carefully considering the results of her study, Dr. Williamson concluded that what is probably behind the recall of certain musical memories and tunes is the fact that our brain encodes music in different ways because the brain stimulates different senses when hearing it. 

It is without a doubt connected to many personal and emotional associations, which increase the chances of recalling the tune whenever we experience a situation similar to the one we experienced when we first heard the song. 

Ironically, me and my bestie from back in high school were listening to Macarena when we had a non-fatal car accident, which still caused a lot of stress and pain to both of us. At least, now I KNOW why this song would play like a broken record in my head every time I was under too much stress. 

Melody's Not a Factor Really 

Also according to the Earworm Project, the melody does not seem to play a particular role in how often we recall it, meaning that if the song is great or not is totally insignificant.

On the other hand, a team of researchers at Western Washington University conducted a series of experiments on 300 volunteers who were asked to listen to several songs and then perform various activities. 

The experiment used songs by artists such as Lady Gaga and with their help psychologists were able to demonstrate that the songs we know and like are typically the ones that usually “jump” into our minds when we least expect it. 

Earworm Phenomenon Tightly Linked With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

The researchers noted in their study that the mental, involuntary repetition of certain songs is pretty similar to involuntary thoughts and memories which also “invade” our minds without us engaging in an activity to recall them. 

In other words, the whole earworm phenomenon is perfectly associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Tell em' Monk...

Say Hello To My "Little Friend" Called The Auditory Cortex

Another team of researchers at Dartmouth University suggests that when we listen to a song, it triggers a part of the brain called the auditory cortex. During a study on “earworms” they found that when they played part of a familiar song to the people in the study, the participants’ auditory cortexes automatically filled in the rest. 

To put it simply, their brains kept “singing” long after the song had ended, while some of them would even sing out loud or even dance. Stuff like that pretty much...

A more recent and radical study conducted by a scientific team at the University of Cincinnati concluded that earworms are simply a defense mechanism of our system and a way to keep the brain busy when it’s idling. 

Official Conclusion: Stress Is To Blame 

Most scientists disagree with the aforementioned conclusion and connect the phenomenon with stress and agree that stuck tunes are like thoughts we’re trying to suppress. The harder we try not to think about them, the more they keep invading our heads.

The fact, however, seems to be that there are as many theories as there are names to describe this phenomenon, which is called everything from repetunitis to melodymania, despite earworms being the dominant word for it in this article.

 To close on a positive note, we will accept the most concrete advice pretty much every expert and researcher gives about how one can escape from those pesky brain and ear “invaders.” 

They all recommend (when the phenomenon occurs) doing something that requires the use of headphones or activities that demand our attention or memory, such as reading a fascinating book or watching our favorite film, so that we can keep our brain busy until the earworms get tired and beat it.

And in case some of you are wondering how I managed to face my own demons with the specific phenomenon, it was all thanks to FANTASY; my own antidote to Macarena. 

I will always love you Mariah!!!

In Case You Missed Part I, Please Click Here 

References:

Earworms: The Song Stuck in Your Head 

Earworm Project, Goldsmiths, University of London

The Auditory Cortex

Like a Catchy Tune, UC Marketing Professor Makes Earworm Definition Stick

How To Get That Tune Out Of Your Head

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