Brain research|Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä collected song-related memories from nearly 2,000 participants from 84 countries.
The summary is made by artificial intelligence and checked by a human.
Music that appeals to our emotions often comes from our teenage years. It has been listened to since I was about 17 years old.
Researchers from the University of Jyväskylä collected music-related memories from nearly 2,000 participants from 84 countries. The results and the study were published by the scientific journal Memory.
For men, the peak of musical memories was around the age of 16. Women only have the best memories of songs when they are over 19 years old.
To people the music that appeals most often comes from the teenage years. The favorite songs are probably from the time when the listener was around 17 years old.
The University of Jyväskylä asked respondents in different countries to name a piece of music that they found deeply meaningful.
The results show that songs remain relevant even for decades. However, the strength of memories varies throughout life.
Differences between men and women were revealed.
Musical taste researched by researchers from the Center of Excellence for Music, Mind, Body and Brain Research at the University of Jyväskylä. It was published by science journal Memory.
The main author of the study is Dr Iballa bunaat from the Department of Music, Art and Culture Research.
He says that the temporal concentration of music-related memories coincides with a neurologically and biographically sensitive age for the brain.
“The brain of a maturing young person can be thought of as a sponge that collects experiences. The brain is curious and it thirsts for reward. However, the brain does not yet have fully developed filters,” says Burunat In the announcement of the University of Jyväskylä.
“At this stage, strong emotional experiences, such as the most important pieces of music, take root in our memory deeper and more vividly than usual. They leave a lasting impression.”
Of memories permanence shows how fundamental influence music has in the formation of a person’s identity, Burunat describes.
In men, the peak of music-related memories was earlier than in women, around the age of 16. For women, the corresponding peak was only after the age of 19.
“Since we don’t have comprehensive qualitative data, we can only guess the reason for this difference in the light of psychology and gender differences research,” says Burunat.
Men’s musical identity is influenced by friendships in youth and one’s own independence.
Women’s musical identity, on the other hand, develops over a longer period of time.
It is shaped by the different connections of emotional life and milestones on the way to young adulthood.
Men are often attracted to violent-sounding, rebellious subgenres of music.
It is more common for women to focus on a wider spectrum of music, from pop to soul to classical music.
Women often use music to strengthen social bonds. These meanings clearly extend beyond the teenage years, says the university’s press release.
“The data clearly shows that for men, the music of their youth becomes a permanent focal point of personal meaning,” explains Burunat.
This can be explained by the fact that society’s attention is focused on youth and rebellion when the masculine identity is being formed.
For women, on the other hand, the connection to music seems to change with age, especially from about 45 years of age onwards.
Women use music as a flexible means of emotional expression and social cohesion. A bandage can last a lifetime.
For women, new songs are also connected to current relationships, personal growth or new experiences. They can have a greater emotional value than the music of your youth, says Burunat.
Young people men and women can form strong emotional ties to music released long before birth, up to 25 years earlier.
Memories of older songs tell about the influence between generations.