Differential effect of music on memory depends on emotional valence: An experimental study about listening to music and music training

Abstract Research has shown that memory is influenced by emotion. Several studies demonstrated the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to modulate emotional memory pursuing clinical and educational aims. Music has been identified as a potential memory modulator, with results differing widely depending on whether the participant had musical training or not. The current study examined the effect of listening to music on musicians’ and non-musicians’ positive (study 1) and negative (study 2) emotional memory, in a group of 163 volunteers, aged 18–40. After the information was encoded, the groups of participants were exposed to arousing music (Symphony No. 70, D major by Joseph Haydn) or a control stimulus (white noise) for three minutes. Then memory was evaluated through free recall and recognition (immediate and deferred measures). Memory performance was compared between musicians (people with five or more years of music education) and non-musicians. Positive and negative images were better recalled than neutral ones, positive images were better recognized than neutral ones however neutral images were better recognized than negative ones. In Study 1, listening to white noise enhanced recall compared to listening to music. In Study 2, listening to arousing music enhanced recall compared to listening to white noise, and this effect was more pronounced in musicians than non-musicians. Our findings suggest that music has a great impact on memory, especially in those with experience in the field, which is reflected in cognitive performance.