The Power of Music in Memory Recall

Many different experiences can trigger memories from your past—the smell of certain foods, freshly cut grass, a familiar neighborhood, or even an old photograph. Music, however, is one of the most powerful memory cues humans experience. Psychologists refer to this phenomenon as MEAMs, or Music-Evoked Autobiographical Memories.

Along with the recall of who was there and what happened, the MEAMs have strong emotional content. They can produce feelings of nostalgia, longing, regret, or affection.

Understanding Memory Types

Later in this module, you’ll learn that long-term memory includes multiple components. Two major types are especially relevant here:

• Semantic memory: memory for facts and general knowledge. For example, remembering that George Washington was the first U.S. president.
• Episodic memory: memory for events that happened at specific times and places in your life
  
  For example, remembering your first day of college or a childhood birthday.

MEAMs fall into the category of autobiographical memory, which blends episodic details (what happened, where you were, who was there) with emotional meaning. When music triggers a memory, it often revives the entire scene—sensations, emotions, and the sense of “being back there.”

Research Insights on MEAMs

Researchers have found that MEAMs are quite common. One study by Jakubowski & Ghosh (2021) had participants ranging in age from 18 to 72 report details of MEAMs they experienced each day using a diary. They found that participants reported experiencing an average of one MEAM each day, most commonly while driving.

Regardless of the participants’ age, these memories typically centered on late adolescence and early adulthood. Generally, these memories were associated with positive emotions, like happiness or elation, but also mixed emotions, like nostalgia and longing.^[1]

The Emotional Content of MEAMs

Recent work by psychologists Sakka and Saarikallio has delved into the qualitative aspects of MEAMs. Their findings suggest that these memories often relate to individual identity and significant relationships. In a study including participants showing signs of severe depression, such individuals recalled MEAMs with negative emotional content, commonly involving relational or mental health struggles.^[2]

The Power of Music

Music is deeply related to many psychological dimensions. Aside from its connection to memory and emotion, movement (dance), attention and thinking (“I can only study with music on”), and social relationships (parties and concerts). Anthropologists report that, like language, all cultures have some form of music, even though it can be expressed in many ways.

Psychologists working with people who suffer from various forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, have found that music can produce complex reactions, clearly related to memory, from patients who are withdrawn and uncommunicative, and appear sad or depressed.

Watch this video of a woman from Spain with Alzheimer’s disease. She was a prima ballerina 50 years before. Here she listens to the music she once knew very well.

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