The desire for music always increases after listening to songs and is linked to “earworms” and personality.
- In a recent study, when participants listened to music, they craved it more.
- The need for music and the intensity of “earworms”, namely catchy fragments of melody, were linked to psychotic disorders, open-mindedness and extroversion.
- These data are “consistent with research findings on addiction.”
Several studies suggest that listening to music causes shivers during intense moments. Additionally, physiological and neural responses occur even before shivering. These can be interpreted as a desire for particularly intense moments. As a reminder, craving is a powerful and intense desire or desire for a specific substance or experience, often associated with addiction. It is characterized by an overwhelming emotional and physiological response that drives a person to pursue the desired object, despite potential negative consequences.
“Earworms”: when a melody obsesses us
In a recent study, researchers from the Berlin Institute of Biomusicology and Empirical Research (Germany) wanted to analyze the need for music and its psychological correlates. For the purposes of the work, published in the journal Psychology of Music, they recruited 81 adults aged 21 to 60, including 31 women. Using a questionnaire that participants completed before and after listening to a song of their choice, the team measured subjective craving reactions and “earworm” experiences. “Earworms” are catchy fragments of melody that seem to loop in the mind. “These snippets are thought to be triggered by emotions, memories, or even random exposure. They can persist for hours or days and are a common experience for people,” the scientists said. Next, they assessed the volunteers’ personality traits.
Music makes us want to listen to more and more
According to the results, the craving for music increased significantly after listening to a song. The same was observed for earworm intensity. The authors found that open-minded, “psychotic” and extroverted people experienced higher earworm intensities initially, but not after listening to the song. “The work highlights that craving responses not only occur when volunteers listen to a piece, but also increase after listening to music. This is consistent with findings from addiction research. This link between craving for music and other psychological states and traits opens up perspectives for future research”, the scientists concluded.
