Date Thesis Awarded
5-2021
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
Psychology
Advisor
Brian Rabinovitz
Committee Members
Janice Zeman
Brian Hulse
Abstract
It is known that there is a relationship between the processing of music and autobiographical memories. This study focused on the impact of music journaling, in the form of biweekly playlists, on the level of vividness and emotionality of autobiographical memories. Participants either performed music journaling or kept records of their experiences without any musical component. Both groups provided text reflections at multiple points during the study and these reflections were subsequently analyzed with coding software. Questionnaires were used to measure participants' general interest in music in order to investigate a possible relationship between general musical interest and the nature of the text reflections. Results did not provide robust support for the impact of music journaling, but did support a relationship between general interest in music and emotional states. Results may have also revealed ways in which music may be an implicitly powerful force in the formation and retention of autobiographical memories. Additionally, results are discussed in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have impacted the creation of autobiographical memories due to the lack of novel stimuli in day-to-day life.
Recommended Citation
Shahin, Emma, "Examining the Effect of Music Journaling, in the Form of Biweekly Music Playlists, on the Vividness and Emotionality of Autobiographical Memory Recall" (2021). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1683.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1683
