'Brain itch' keeps songs in the head - BBC Article!

bbchris

Research in the US has found that songs get stuck in our heads because they create a "brain itch" that can only be scratched by repeating the tune over and over.

In Germany, this type of song is known as an "ohrwurm" - an earworm - and typically has a high, upbeat melody and repetitive lyrics that verge between catchy and annoying.

Songs such as the Village People's YMCA, Los Del Rio's Macarena, and the Baha Men's Who Let The Dogs Out owe their success to their ability to create a "cognitive itch," according to Professor James Kellaris, of the University of Cincinnati College of Business Administration.

"A cognitive itch is a kind of metaphor that explains how these songs get stuck in our head," Professor Kellaris told BBC World Service's Outlook programme.

"Certain songs have properties that are analogous to histamines that make our brain itch.

"The only way to scratch a cognitive itch is to repeat the offending melody in our minds."

'Insidious and blatant'

Professor Kellaris has presented the early results of his earworm research at a conference on Consumer Psychology.

He said that virtually everyone suffered from a cognitive itch at one time or another.

The Village People owed much success to earworms

"Across surveys I found that from 97% to 99% of the population is susceptible to earworms at some time," he stated.

"But certainly some people are more susceptible than others. Women tend to be more susceptible than men, and musicians are more susceptible to them than non-musicians."

The research is of particular interest to both the pop industry - looking to boost sales - and to advertisers, who often use jingles to get their brand name stuck in the head of listeners.

"For both advertising purposes and pop music purposes, you want something that once heard is not forgotten quickly or easily," explained jingle writer Chris Smith, adding that a good earworm was "Insidious - and often quite blatant".

"One of the key elements of an earworm is repetition," he said.

"If you have something with a lot of varied content, it's not so easily assimilated.

"So really, I would have thought that for practical purposes an earworm is really something that people can take on very quickly and then reproduce while walking down the street, much to everybody else's annoyance."

Clearing the mind

Even the greatest musicians had suffered with earworms, Mr Smith said.

Mozart's children would "infuriate" him by playing melody and scales on the piano below his room - but stopping before completing the tune.

"He would have to rush down and complete the scale because he couldn't bear to listen to an unresolved scale," Mr Smith related.

Even Mozart suffered with cognitive itches

Professor Kellaris said that his research had shown that there was, however, no standard for creating an earworm - people could react differently to different tunes.

"I compiled a top 10 list of earworms in the US, but the number one item is simply the category 'other' - which means that any tune is prone to become an earworm," he said. "It's highly idiosyncratic."

And he added that there was also no guaranteed way of ever getting the song off the brain.

"Replacement strategies rarely work, because as we search our memories for a replacement tune, we're likely to come up with another earworm," he admitted.

"Some people swear by completion strategies - if you listen through a piece in its entirety, some times that will make it go away."

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news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/scien...221499.stm

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I'm a female musician - does this mean I'm susceptible to liking crap music?!?!?!?!? :bigeyes

ED1G · PIGGY MOONRUST Joined: 31 Oct 2002 Posts: 2644

I normally get this at work.. I hear a track in the morning and it just bugs me all day....... :lol

I think we all like crap music at some time in our life Chris..

who let the dogs out.......ruff :lol

Paul

CD Single : LOOK AT ME: SOUND CLICK: FAP: GET ME MUSIC: IC-MUSIC

Phil Frazier · Joined: 04 Aug 2002 Posts: 823

Prof. I.B. Stondewell recently published his theory about "Music Addiction" @ www.godsofmusic.com

:sensational

Edited by: Phil Frazier at: 10/30/03 12:42 am

Phil Frazier · Joined: 04 Aug 2002 Posts: 823

Addiction Of Music: Prof. I.B. Stonedwell

Sound vibrations of notes travel to the ears canals and reverberate their way into the nuerons of the brain. It is there that they are either accepted or rejected.

Certain combinations of notes are pleasing to the nuerons and others are not.

This phenomonon is largely based on conditioning of the brain. The sound of a mother's heart is pleasing to the fetus and therefore that sound and beat remains with the being for the length of the being's life.

Certain songs, tunes and beats are also introduced to the brain and become ingrained in the nuerons. When other sounds that are similar are heard as youngsters these sounds are also accepted. Sounds and melodies that are totally foreign ie. from other cultures are rarely, if ever accepted.

Example: People from the West rarely like Asian, Indian or Arabic Music.

People from other cultures than the West rarely like melodies from the West if they have never heard them in their infancy or childhood.

Certain combinations of notes become addictive. This is common in all cultures. The strange part is that some melodies that people become addicted to are not pleasing to them on a conscious level. The addiction can last for weeks, months or years.

Usually, the cure is constant repetitive listening for five to ten days until the brain grows weary of the the tune and rejects it.

There are no new musical notes.

bbchris

Quote:
Certain songs, tunes and beats are also introduced to the brain and become ingrained in the nuerons. When other sounds that are similar are heard as youngsters these sounds are also accepted. Sounds and melodies that are totally foreign ie. from other cultures are rarely, if ever accepted.

Example: People from the West rarely like Asian, Indian or Arabic Music.

I don't agree with this one. Has anyone ever heard Cantonese Opera? I grew up hearing it and it's bloody awful.

I never heard Arabic music till a few years ago and I really like it. I've even written songs using the arabic scale.

Unless of course I'm an exception rather than the norm.

After all Paul & I like the same crappy songs :wgrin

Phil Frazier · Joined: 04 Aug 2002 Posts: 823

"Unless of course I'm an exception rather than the norm." BB Chris

Most definetly. :bleh

bbchris

Why! I'll take that as a compliment Phil!! :wgrin