Why do some songs get stuck in our heads? In this episode, our presenter Ginny Smith explores the psychology of earworms. Ginny hears about the possible evolutionary reasons for why we experience the phenomenon, learns what earworms can teach us about memory — and finds out how to get rid of them.
Our guests, in order of appearance, are Kelly Jakubowski, assistant professor of music psychology at Durham University; Petr Janata, professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis; and Michael K. Scullin, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University.
Episode credits: Presented and produced by Ginny Smith. Mixing and editing by Jeff Knowler. PsychCrunch theme music by Catherine Loveday and Jeff Knowler. Art work by Tim Grimshaw.
Research from our guests includes:
Dissecting an Earworm: Melodic Features and Song Popularity Predict Involuntary Musical Imagery
Spontaneous mental replay of music improves memory for incidentally associated event knowledge.
Bedtime Music, Involuntary Musical Imagery, and Sleep
Ep 38: Nothing about us without us
Ep 37: Talking with patients about sad, bad and difficult things
Ep 36: The secrets of dreams and nightmares
Ep 35: Why do we enjoy playing with fear?
Ep 34: How do you make friends as an adult?
Ep 33: Have you experienced the unseen other?
Ep 32: How to face grief
Ep 31: How to better understand your cat
Ep 30: The psychology of superstitions
Ep 29: Why do people share false information — and what can we do about it?
Episode 27: The Psychologist presents… at Latitude Festival 2021 — Child food poverty
Ep 26: How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our mental health?
Ep 25: How to change your personality
Ep 24: How Children Learn Through Play
Ep 23: Whose psychology is it anyway? Making psychological research more representative
Ep 22: Drifting Minds — Maladaptive Daydreaming And The Hypnagogic State
Ep 21: How To Stay Connected In The "New Normal"
Episode 20
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