A group of researchers in the British city of Leeds are using the music of The Beatles to study how musical memories impact an individual's identity.
The Sunday Times of London said by having research subjects detail memories of listening to the famed British rock group, psychologists at Leeds University hope to learn more about the creation of "autobiographical" memories.
Senior lecturer Dr. Catriona Morrison says by focusing on individuals' memories of the rock band, the researchers want to learn how certain memories can be triggered.
"We are using an iconic cultural entity to get all those memories in one place and to try to assess the influence that the Beatles had on people's lives," Morrison said.
"Whether you were there in the 1960s or if you grew up in the 1980s, virtually everybody has got some thoughts or memories about the Beatles."
The Times said the final results of the musical memory research will be released this September during a British Association for the Advancement of Science-organized festival.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
