The other day I was doing my work and my brother was playing this song on the tube called Dwapara in Kannada!
The start was not so profound but there was the second main rhyme which really got my attention and how! I have not stopped listening to it since then!
You will be surprised to know that it has been sung by a Singh in Kannada and the Dwapara refers to the Dwapara Yuga of Krishna! The familiarity of the soft tunes and the beautiful lyrics really hit the right spots on my musically inclined brain!
Then I realized that I like it because of the familiarity principle!
This is also called the mere exposure effect!
The mere exposure effect, also known as the familiarity principle, is a psychological phenomenon where people develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar with them!
Apparently from an evolutionary perspective, the brain associates familiarity with safety. If a stimulus is encountered repeatedly without negative consequences, it is perceived as non-threatening!
Repeated exposure makes it easier for the brain to process a stimulus. This ease, or “fluency,” creates a positive feeling that the brain often misinterprets as a genuine preference for the object itself.
A common example is seeing a brand’s logo or hearing its jingle repeatedly makes it more likely you will choose that brand over an unfamiliar competitor!
People generally find others more likable and attractive the more often they see them, even if no direct conversation occurs. Like your neighbor or even your watchman!
Now I liked the Dwapara song immediately but if the song is neutral at first, if you go on listening to it then even an annoying song often “grow on us” after being played frequently on the radio or in playlists!
The reverse is also true! A familiar song gets very irritating on repeat plays! One such song is MY HEART WILL GO ON! Even though it was a big hit at the time, many simply cannot stand the song because it is too familiar!
Apparently if the initial reaction to something is strongly negative, repeated exposure can actually intensify that dislike rather than turning it into a preference!
Then again human brain is not so simple!
There is an apparent limit to the exposure! Liking typically increases with repetition up to a point—often around 10–20 exposures—after which excessive exposure can lead to boredom or annoyance!
So if you want to get over a song or an EAR WORM soon then you have to listen to that for at least 20 times!
Then again do not think so much! The song DWAPARA is really nice! You do not have to put all the Freudian formula to it and spoil the art!
Music ka jawab nahi! Like Kapil ka jawab nahi!
Listen to it before you sleep!
Shubh ratri!
ramadocblog 