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89 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, July 13, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 13, 2004 Since You Asked That song that won’t stop is an ‘earworm’ You know when you get a song stuck in your head and you can’t get rid of it? Is there a word for that? — Anne C., Medford Quite a few, Anne, but only one we can print in a family newspaper. Those insidious tunes are called "earworms." Earworms typically have a sing-songy melody and repetitive words and phrases. A University of Cincinnati expert, James Kellaris, studied earworms and concluded that they owe their success to the ability to create a "cognitive itch" that can only be scratched by the offending tune. Advertisement That’s tough news indeed if you have one — say, the Village People’s "YMCA," Los Del Rio’s "Macarena" or the Baha Men’s "Who Let The Dogs Out" — stuck in your head. Our staff psychologists here at Since You Asked say the best approach may be a "completion strategy" in which you sing or listen to the danged thing in its entirety. Easy for them to say. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times