HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 3, 2012 – Jessica Stark, a senior majoring in psychology and music at High Point University, recently presented results from a grant-funded research project at an international conference – the Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, the international conference in cognitive psychology. The event was held in Seattle.
Stark’s presentation, titled “Of all the Songs to Get Stuck in My Head, Why This One?: A Study on Musical Memory,” examined the influences of tonality and rhythm on recognition memory.
Stark completed the study as part of a project in her Advanced Research Methods class and worked closely with HPU’s cognitive psychologist and assistant professor of psychology, Dr. Kimberly Wear.
“The study showed that songs with regular meter (rhythm) and tonal songs led to better recognition for both musicians and nonmusicians,” Stark explains. “The results support the theory that tonal music leads to greater familiarity which would not only make it easier to process perceptually, but also easier to remember. The results counter the view that distinctive music would be remembered better; both types of “distinctive” songs, atonal as well as irregular rhythm, were remembered less.”
She says attending the conference was truly a great experience, because it allowed her the opportunity to present her work to many graduate students and professionals in the field.
“The conference was very valuable because both graduate students and professional psychologists often present their research findings at conferences,” Stark says. “Being able to present as an undergraduate has given me the vital experience that I will need in both graduate school and my professional career.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.℠ HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with over 4,200 undergraduate and graduate students at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report at No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South. Parade Magazine lists HPU in the top 25 private schools in the nation. HPU was selected in the 2010-2011 list of “Colleges of Distinction,” as well as one of the top green schools in the country by the Sierra Club. The university offers 44 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and 10 graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at highpoint.edu.
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Pam Haynes
Communication Specialist
336-841-9055
[email protected]