BRAINWORMS, STICKY MUSIC, AND CATCHY TUNES

"Research suggests that there may be psychological reasons why some songs are more likely to stick, including memory triggers, emotional states and even stress" (NPR Staff).

REAL WORLD EXAMPLE: THE KING AND I

• Tech week for The King and I caused stress
• This led to songs from the show getting stuck in their heads
• i.e. Getting to Know You, I Whistle a Happy Tune

OCCURRENCE OF BRAINWORMS

• Most come from TV, movies, or ads
• Repetitions are often short phrases
• Can last for hours, days, or even weeks
• Often drives people insane

FUN FACT!

• People who have earworms are similar to those with autism
• They repeat phrases as autistic people repeat sounds, noises, or words
• This can go on for weeks

"An estimated 90% of people fall prey to an earworm at least once a week and most are not bothersome, but some can cause distress or anxiety" (Souri Somphanith).

This is similar to a mouse being chased by a cat.

REAL WORLD EXAMPLE: MUSICOPHILIA

• Wordless earworms are just as catchy as ones with words.
• Beethoven's Fifth can be just as catchy as the Kit Kat commercial.

In conclusion, brainworms are nothing more than catchy tunes that come and go at their leisure. They might only be ads, but they are neurologically irresistible.

WORKS CITED

• http://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148460545/why-that-song-gets-stuck-in-your-he...
• http://blogs.plos.org/everyone/2014/03/05/infectious-earworms-dealing-music...
• Sacks, Oliver. Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
• Print.

THE END