Psychology of Music- research article summary #2 - Book Report/Review Example

Music, emotion, and autobiographical memory: Theyre playing your song”, SUMMARY This paper explores durability of memory for popular music among older and younger adults, efficacy with which music could arise any autobiographical memories, and dependency between emotions and memory taking into account different aspects.During the study, twenty seconds excerpts of sixty selected songs meeting defined criteria acting as independent variable were recorded onto audio tape and presented to eighteen undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 21 and eighteen older adults between the ages of 66 and 71.

After hearing each excerpt the subjects were asked to answer given questions by writing them in a booklet or orally, when research worker recorded them. These answers were dependent variables describing how subjects feel the stimuli.In the course of the research it was discovered that there was significant effect of subjects age on the artist measure, but not on the combined recall measure. Overall younger adults provided more accurate information concerning dating songs and autobiographical memories.

Data received in the result of the research proved that memory for popular music does not remain intact during peoples lives and that people dont have much knowledge concerning it. The study showed that all subjects were more likely to recall information about a song when the person had emotional response for it.As for the third aspect of the research, dependency between memory and emotions, it could not be distinguished clearly, as the results dont show whether the emotion triggered the memory or vice versa.

The researchers can only say that emotionality ratings did not decline even over the long retention intervals.The topic covered in the paper is interesting, as the authors reveal the impact of popular music that we hear every day on peoples lives, memories, and emotions.Schulkind, M.D., & Hennis, L.K., Rubin, D.C. (1999) Music, emotion, and autobiographical memory: theyre playing your song. Memory & Cognition, 27 (6), 948-955