hi lxluthr,
Researchers have named this phenomenon as "Stuck Tune Syndrome". James
J. Kellaris, an associate professor of marketing in the University of
Cincinnati College of Business Administration, explains that certain
songs create a sort of "cognitive itch" - the mental equivalent of an
itchy back. "It is like the familiar pattern of itching and
scratching," Kellaris says. "The only way to 'scratch' a cognitive
itch is to rehearse the responsible tune mentally. The process may
start involuntarily, as the brain detects an incongruity or something
'exceptional' in the musical stimulus. The ensuing mental repetition
may exacerbate the 'itch,' such that the mental rehearsal becomes
largely involuntary, and the individual feels trapped in a cycle or
feedback loop.""Musicians are especially susceptible to this",
Kellaris says, "because they are exposed to so many tunes and play
them over and over."
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/411059
.
According to Kellaris, the features that can make a song more hummable
than another, are:
a) the repetitiveness of the tune - some songs may have repetitive
patterns and refrains and some rely so heavily on this feauture that
it because daunting e.g. "Follow the yellow brick road", and the
"Mission Impossible" theme
b) the musical simplicity of the song - Kellaris points out that this
is why we tend to hum children's song often: "The ease with which a
tune can be reconstructed increases its adhesiveness". e.g. the
Christmas carol "Twelve Days of Chritmas"
c) an element of surprise or incongruity built into the song - If the
rhythm or lyric changes unexpectedly, it might incite a congnitive
itch.
.
I also came across this explanation on the "MadSci Network":
"....It's similar to one of those muscle spasms or twitches you get
once in a while. You know how annoying they are and how little you can
do to stop them. Unrelenting tunes in the head happen for similar
reasons. Just as your muscles are controlled by nerves, everything
within the mind also corresponds to neurological activity, and this
includes mental simulations of music. Corresponding to your mental
tune is a certain pattern of neurological activity, and when it
repeats uncontrollably, this is likely due to the grouping of neurons
undergoing an uncontrolled spasm (due to some foreign factor like a
chemical release)...."
http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/sep2000/969900510.Ns.r.html
"Analysing this phenomenon further, some psychologists suggest that
may be it is not the tune or the song alone, and that it may be akin
to a persistent dream. Something in the back of your mind is trying to
tell you something. And more often than not, the stuck songs or tunes
belong to music that was popular or important in your childhood. This
point needs greater elaboration in order to affirm its validity and
strength. Clearly each one of us needs to check what songs we get
stuck on, analyse them ourselves and check this point out on an
individual basis. But it does look as if the stuck song comes to us
either in moments of enjoyment or as relievers of boredom. There is
thus a comfort and nostalgic element to it."
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/seta/2001/11/29/stories/2001112900050300.htm
.
Keywords used (Google)
kellaris stuck tune
psychology song head
.
I hope this satisfies your curiosity.
Please rate answer accordingly.
General Zod |
