Listening to music while engaged in an activity can make the experience more enjoyable. But, according to new research published in the Journal of Neuroscience, listening to music after an event or activity can enhance your ability to remember it when you have the right emotional response.
Journal of Neuroscience"We found that the nature of the music—whether it was positive, negative, familiar, or unfamiliar—did not affect memory as much as the level of emotion people experienced while listening to it," said lead author Stephanie Leal, a professor at UCLA in integrative biology and physiology. "An optimal emotional response helped participants recall details of an experience. However, too intense or too weak emotions resulted in better recall for the general idea rather than specific details."
Scientists are exploring the intricate link between music, emotion, and memory to discover methods that enhance learning and treat conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and PTSD. Music could be a powerful therapeutic tool due to its non-invasive nature.
The study involved volunteers who viewed images of ordinary household objects like telephones, laptops, and oranges. After viewing about 100 images, the participants listened to classical music for 10 minutes. When their emotional arousal returned to baseline levels, they underwent memory tests about the objects they had seen.
Participants identified whether shown pictures were identical, similar but slightly different, or entirely distinct from what they viewed earlier. They also reported on their familiarity with the music and their emotional state while listening to it. Music did not universally enhance participants' memories of the objects, but some individuals showed significantly better detail recognition – especially for detecting slight differences.
All participants completed a questionnaire measuring emotional response. Further analysis revealed those with improved memory experienced moderate emotional arousal, regardless of whether they listened to uplifting or depressing music. Individuals experiencing strong emotions performed worse at recalling object details and retained only a general sense of the images.
Memory can swing between remembering generalities versus specifics. Gist-based memory allows us to forget superfluous details and focus on the big picture, which is crucial for not clinging onto every detail yet retaining core information. Conversely, detailed memory lets us recall specific facts.
"Our task measured both gist- and detail-oriented memory," Leal said. "Music boosted detail-based memory, but only when emotional arousal was at an ideal level for each participant."
The findings suggest that music listened to immediately after an experience can alter what we remember. For example, listening to moderately arousing music post-study might help recall precise information needed for a test the next day. However, if the music evokes very strong emotional arousal right after studying, it could yield weaker memory.
The key takeaway is that the optimal level of emotional arousal induced by music post-learning can enhance memory and dictate whether we remember details or generalities.
"Music affects a brain region called the hippocampus, vital for transforming experiences into memories," Leal said. "We believe it's possible to use this influence strategically either to boost or impair memory depending on therapeutic goals."
For instance, using music to enhance detailed recall could benefit aging minds or those in early stages of Alzheimer's disease. In cases like anxiety and PTSD, employing music that targets gist-based memory could help smooth out trauma-inducing experiences.
Because the optimal response varied widely among individuals, further research aims to tailor this approach for personalized treatments.
"Our lab focuses on identifying early brain changes and cognitive shifts," Leal said. "Music therapy is non-invasive, affordable, and easily personalized; we want to understand its memory-enhancing mechanisms better."
She emphasized the importance of sustained federal funding: "Without adequate support for Alzheimer's research, transforming this approach into low-cost yet effective treatments is unlikely due to the necessary large participant pool for individualized therapies."