Resilient memory for melodies: The number of intervening melodies does not influence novel melody recognition

Abstract

In many memory domains, a decrease in recognition performance between the first and second presentation of an object is observed as the number of intervening items increases. However, this effect is not universal. Within the auditory domain, this form of interference has been demonstrated in word and single-note recognition, but has yet to be substantiated using relatively complex musical material such as a melody. Indeed, it is becoming clear that music shows intriguing properties when it comes to memory. This study investigated how the number of intervening items influences memory for melodies. In Experiments 1, 2 and 3, one melody was presented per trial in a continuous recognition paradigm. After each melody, participants indicated whether they had heard the melody in the experiment before by responding "old" or "new." In Experiment 4, participants rated perceived familiarity for every melody without being told that melodies reoccur. In four experiments using two corpora of music, two different memory tasks, transposed and untransposed melodies and up to 195 intervening melodies, no sign of a disruptive effect from the number of intervening melodies beyond the first was observed. We propose a new "regenerative multiple representations" conjecture to explain why intervening items increase interference in recognition memory for most domains but not music. This conjecture makes several testable predictions and has the potential to strengthen our understanding of domain specificity in human memory, while moving one step closer to explaining the "paradox" that is memory for melody.

Interference in memory for pitch-only and rhythm-only sequences

“…In this context, the RMR conjecture predicts that melodies in unfamiliar tuning systems should elicit cumulative disruption of recognition memory from the number of intervening melodies, because they are not integrated into coherent memory representations. Indeed, such a cumulative disruption of recognition has been observed in a recent study as the number of intervening melodies increased up to ~100 intervening melodies (Herff, Olsen, Dean, et al, submitted). Three experiments tested two unfamiliar tuning systems, and similar to Western tonal melodies, recognition performance was ubiquitously above chance.…”

“…For listeners encultured in Western music, melodies composed in this tradition do not show memory decay effects even after delays of up to a week (Schellenberg & Habashi, 2015). In terms of interference, neither recognition nor perceived familiarity of such melodies show cumulatively disrupted interference effects from intervening items, even with multiple corpora of music and up to nearly 200 intervening melodies (Herff, Olsen, & Dean, submitted). In four experiments, Herff, Olsen, & Dean (submitted) presented novel melodies in a familiar tuning system to participants.…”

“…They used seven-note isochronic melodies but no cumulative disruptive effect on recognition was observed with up to eight intervening items. However, recent studies have shown that relatively large numbers (~100) of intervening items are required to appropriately assess cumulative disruptive effects on recognition of musical stimuli (Herff, Olsen, & Dean, submitted; Herff, Olsen, Dean, et al, submitted). Here we investigate relatively large numbers of intervening items as well as melodies in an unfamiliar tuning system.…”

“…Deutsch, 1970, 1975; Donaldson & Murdock, 1968; Hockley, 1992; Konkle, Brady, Alvarez, & Oliva, 2010; Olson, 1969; Poon & Fozard, 1980; Rakover & Cahlon, 2001; Sadeh, Ozubko, Winocur, & Moscovitch, 2014). In the musical domain, however, melodies composed in culturally familiar tuning systems (e.g., Western tonal music) do not show cumulative decrements in recognition performance as time elapses (Schellenberg & Habashi, 2015), nor systematic and cumulative decrements as the number of intervening items increases (Herff, Olsen, & Dean, submitted; Herff, Olsen, Dean, & Prince, submitted). Interestingly, interference effects that are due to the number of intervening items are observed if melodies are sounded in unfamiliar tuning systems (Herff, Olsen, Dean, & Prince, submitted).…”

“…In the musical domain, however, melodies composed in culturally familiar tuning systems (e.g., Western tonal music) do not show cumulative decrements in recognition performance as time elapses (Schellenberg & Habashi, 2015), nor systematic and cumulative decrements as the number of intervening items increases (Herff, Olsen, & Dean, submitted; Herff, Olsen, Dean, & Prince, submitted). Interestingly, interference effects that are due to the number of intervening items are observed if melodies are sounded in unfamiliar tuning systems (Herff, Olsen, Dean, & Prince, submitted). A regenerative multiple representations (RMR) conjecture has been developed to explain this disparity (see below for more detail).…”