*********************************** Memory for Frequency of Hearing Popular Music James R. Fidler and Eugene B. Zechmeister

ABSTRACT This experiment was designed to better understand the effects of individual differences, intent to learn, and stimulus familiarity on frequency judgment accuracy. Half of the participants in the study heard popular songs, and the other half listened to unfamiliar songs. Participants were subdivided into three more groups, introducing the "intent to learn vari..ble". They were (1) aware of an upcoming frequency test, (2) aware of an upcoming memory test, or (3) given a distractor task of completing a math test. A series of taped -10second song excerpts, separated by 5-second silent intervals, were played to participants. Sixteen songs were repeated at varying frequencies throughout the tape. Participants were asked to judge how many times they had heard each song. Analyses of variance were performed on mean frequency of each group. Persons judging unfamiliar music tended to inflate their frequency estimates compared to persons judging fuilar music. Frequency judgment ability seemed to be impaired for persons in the distractor condition. High music-knowledge persons exhibited superior frequency judgment accuracy. (LMO)