When you listen to a song for the first time, there can be two possible acts that follow: let the playlist keep playing or go back to put the same song on repeat several times.
Although it is striking that some people seem to obsess over a song, it is not necessarily something pathological. Psychology points out that it may be due to a self-regulation mechanism.
What Effects Does Music Have on the Brain?
Music is particularly linked to memory and emotions. It is a sensory experience, not just a piece of data that neutrally enters the brain: it blends sound, memories, expectations, and mimics moods.
This effect often extends to almost the entire body, which is why there are melodies for different contexts: religious rituals, marriage, funerals, romantic dates, etc.
Among the effects that music can have on the brain are:
- Increase or decrease heart or respiratory rate.
- Provoke or fuel emotions such as joy, sadness, fear, disgust, and even anger.
For this reason, it is widely used by the audiovisual industry in series or films to help build the atmosphere.
What Does It Mean According to Psychology?
To understand why a person decides to put the same song on repeat, it must be taken into account that this is related to familiarity, emotional regulation, and memory.
According to various studies, the most important variable is familiarity, since the more a song is listened to, the more pleasure, predictability, and enjoyment it causes in the person. Anticipation and the satisfying effect it has on people explain why repetition is so often chosen by some people: they can predict when the chorus, the rhythm change, or the lyrics will come.
Second, emotions have a major role in this decision. Putting a song on repeat can help in several scenarios:
- Calm anxiety.
- Maintain focus.
- Process sadness.
- Relive a happy moment.
According to different specialists, listening to the same song over and over helps contain an emotion that is probably intense within a format that feels familiar and manageable.