Recent studies in brain function have reinforced the idea that anticipation of an event plays a powerful role in the clarity of memories of that event. Says this report summary:
The UW-Madison scientists found that two key regions of the brain — the amygdala and the hippocampus — become activated when a person is anticipating a difficult situation. Scientists think the amygdala is associated with the formation of emotional memories, while the hippocampus helps the brain form long-term recollections….
This particular study used real-time images of brain function while showing two groups of people gruesome pictures (boy, I hope they were paid). One group got advanced warning that they were about to see a gruesome picture. The other group received no such warning. The warning seemed to activate the memory-forming areas of the brain in advance of the actual experience, leading to a more vivid memory even weeks after the testing.
While the study focuses on negative experiences in an effort to inform work with victims of trauma or emotional distress, the findings suggest how powerful anticipation and preparation can be in the construction of remembered experience — positive or negative. In the arts, this only reinforces the importance of framing and encouraging anticipation among audience members — whether through advanced information or insight, or by encouraging audiences to draw forward relevant parts of their life experience before an event begins.
If we’re in the business of forging vital and memorable experiences, it’s always handy to know whatever we can about how that process works.
How does this balance against what I call the serendipity factor, based on my personal realization that some of my favorite and most memorable arts experiences have been those that I was not anticipating, and in fact knew little about before I experienced them? It seems to me that hyping the arts experience too much beforehand (which is an almost universal quality of our arts marketing language) has increased expectations too much. Let’s not take this idea of using the anticipation factor to prepare our audiences for memorable experiences and turn it into an attempt to create a state of “breathless anticipation” in them, expecting an “unforgettable experience that will change you forever.” I exaggerate, but I am concerned that we already are trying too hard to force our customers into a heightened state of anticipation that results in continual disappointment, so let’s be careful in applying this strategy.
Paul,
I’d agree that our traditional interpretation of this fact is generally overdone and less effective (ie, hype about the life-changing qualities of the event to be experienced). But there must be other, more subtle, ways to prime the memory-constructing elements of the brain. Any thoughts out there, or examples from experience?
I’m not sure about more subtle ways to prime the memory constructing elements of the brain. I am, however, aware of Levitin’s research. He directs the laborartory of Musical Perception, Cognition, and Expertise at McGill University. Maybe this a good place to start?
http://www.music.mcgill.ca/cirmmt/
Interesting enough I just did an entry on a review of Levitin’s new book, “This Is Your Brain on Music,” in which he talks about anticipation and music.
He essentially says that the cerebellum tries to anticipate the beats in music. “Music sounds exciting when our brains guess the right beat, but a song becomes really interesting when it violates the expectation in some surprising way.”
The entry I did dealt with the idea that as teenagers we develop a core love for certain styles of music that sticks with us our whole lives. But really, the whole idea of engaging people by meeting and cleverly violating their expectations is something of which to be mindful.
The arts do this sort of thing already, but I suspect it is inadvertant more often than it is intended. Even if it is intended, there is nothing to say it shouldn’t be done more often and the execution continually refined.