Why does a song loop in my mind?

Some songs will continue to "loop" in their minds after listening to them. Scientists figuratively refer to the phenomenon of looping songs in the brain as "earworm" infections. Why are we brainwashed by songs?

When listening to a song, the auditory cortex of the brain is activated. The cognitive science research team at Dartmouth University in the United States asked the students to listen to familiar or unfamiliar songs while receiving mrimagma scans of the brain. During the process, the researchers randomly pressed the mute button for 3 to 5 seconds without the participants' knowledge. Brain scans showed that for familiar songs, participants automatically muted some of the music, while listening to unfamiliar songs, the auditory cortex of the participants' brains did not show continued singing the song. Studies have proved that some specific songs can burrow into people's heads like parasites, resulting in "cognitive itching", and the brain needs the melody of these songs to "tickle", but the more scratches, the more itchy, the more itchy. As a result, the brainwashing melody lingered.

The latest findings by the Marketing Research Group at the School of Business Administration at the University of Cincinnati in the United States show that up to 99% of people have experienced earworm "hosts". Women, musicians, nervous, tired, and stressed people are more likely to be brainwashed by "ear bugs." The specific mechanism by which women are more likely to be infected with "earworms" than men is not fully understood. But one explanation is that women have a higher degree of neuroticism than men.

The researchers say song brainwashing may be the result of multifactorial interactions. Such as the musical characteristics of the song (the song is catchy, the melody is familiar and simple) and the characteristics of the environment or situation (such as the first thing in the morning, the last thing in the evening, or being under pressure).

Source: Life Times