Music cues impact the emotionality but not richness of episodic memory retrieval

Previous studies have found that music evokes more vivid and emotional memories of autobiographical events than various other retrieval cues. However, it is possible such findings can be explained by pre-existing differences between disparate events that are retrieved in response to each cue type. To test whether music exhibits differential effects to other cues even when memory encoding is controlled, we compared music and environmental sounds as cues for memories of the same set of dynamic visual scenes. Following incidental encoding of 14 scenes (7 with music, 7 with sounds), the music and sounds were presented to participants (N = 56), who were asked to describe the scenes associated with these cues, and rate various memory properties. Music elicited fewer correct memories and more effortful retrieval than sound cues, and no difference was found in memory detail/vividness between cue types. However, music-evoked memories were rated as more positive and less arousing. These findings provide important critical insights that only partially support the common notion that music differs from other cue types in its effects on episodic memory retrieval.