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morganmuffle for helping me to get it! It's so pretty! I've had it for a couple of days now, but life has been too hectic to squee about it until now :D
Beatles hits reveal how music helps recall vivid memories
Memories of the Beatles collected from around the world have helped scientists to understand how music can help us to tap into long forgotten events.
In the biggest online survey of personal memories ever conducted, more than 3,000 people recounted their most vivid memories relating to the 1960s pop band.
Participants ranged in age from 17 to 87 spanning 69 different nationalities in the six months study.
The aim was to see how Beatles associations shed light on the psychological effect of autobiographical memory.
'Autobiographical memory is essential for our sense of self,' said researcher Dr Catriona Morrison, from the University of Leeds.
Most respondents were 'silver surfers' between the ages of 55 and 65 who would have been in their teens during the Beatles hey day in the 1960s.
The memories showed an expected 'reminiscence bump' - a time in life which is remembered especially vividly and often coincides with the teenage years.
In the case of Beatles memories, the bump occurred somewhat earlier than usual, the scientists found.
'What's interesting is that the majority of memories cluster in the early teenage years,' said Dr Morrison, who will outline the research at the British Association Festival of Science at the University of Liverpool.
'The early teenage years are the years during which you are making your musical decisions. By the age of about 14 most people have made up their mind, and that's the age when music makes the most powerful impression on us.'
The Beatles song that generated the most memory associations was 'She Loves You', the biggest selling single of the 1960s.
Although 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' sparked off the most memories for Americans.
However the researchers were struck by the similarity of moods, feelings, scenes and situations relayed by Beatles memories around the world.
'We were so impressed with how vividly people could recall memories, sometimes from more than 40 years ago, especially when many eloquent and vivid memories appeared to have been little recalled in decades,' said Dr Morrison.
'This shows the power of music in shaping and reliving sometimes long-neglected memories.'
With the exception of John Lennon's murder, memories were on the whole overwhelmingly positive.
Dr Morrison added: 'We argue that music is more than auditory cheesecake. It's a means by which people can account for themselves both as an individual and as part of society.'
Colleague Professor Martin Conway said it was possible that happy memories of the Beatles could be used therapeutically to help people suffering from depression.
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