Can you think of a song that you listen to at least once a month? How about once a day? What about each hour? Now how about every 15 minutes? Now that’s crazy! You might be wondering; why am I asking these ridiculous questions, and who in this world listen’s to the exact same melody more than every single hour? I’ll tell you the answer, It’s you, and me, and every single person who walks the Penn State campus.
I was studying with a group of friends last weekend when the Penn state Old Main bell chimed, as it always does, except this time, I noticed one of my friends singing along with the whole melody that was chimed by the bell. As she hummed along with it -most likely unconsciously- I came to realize that I too was singing along with it in my head. I then became very interested in the fact that all people on Penn State campus hear this bell multiple times throughout the day to the point where it becomes a part of our subconscious. What interests me most about this has to do with the unconscious psychological phenomena called classical conditioning. This was Ivan Pavlov’s study uncovering the following: when the sensation of any stimulus is repeated enough times and paired with a situation or outcome, animals will come to associate the stimulus with whatever situation it is paired with. An example is how my cats run to their food bowl every time anyone walks down the basement stairs. Because they get fed in the basement, they have learned to associate the sound of the basement stairs with getting food. This is a completely unconscious instinct that all animals have.
There is a theory that the reason we like our favorite songs is due to the emotions we relate to them. Think about your favorite song and what you like about it. Is there a deeper emotion that the song triggers for you? It makes sense that our favorite songs are related to emotional response considering the large role that culture plays in deciding which music we like. It shows that what we think sounds good is less stochastic and more deterministic. When I hear the Old Main campus bell, while sometimes it’s just background in my subconscious, when I become aware of it, it’s hard to describe the feelings I get. It can be tied to feelings of belonging, comfort, strength, and even some nostalgia. It’s such an all encapsulating dizzying sound that, when I am aware of it, seems to overtake me with strangely powerful emotion. We all know how proud of a school Penn State is. This can be seen through at least half the people walking around wearing Penn State clothing, the “We are” chant, and lastly the sound of the Old Main bell as if to remind us exactly who we are. Though it may have been created just to keep track of time, the constant chime of the Old Main bell is like the campus of Penn State speaking to each and every student and reminding us that we are Penn State. I believe that the strong connection that melodies and songs have with our emotional responses can applied to the chiming of the bell. With each chime, our connection to Penn State grows stronger. Perhaps this is done on purpose so people will cheer louder at football games.
While surprisingly, the Old Main chimes are no longer produced by the sound of a bell, but instead a recording, the power that they hold ring true. In fact, it’s playing this very second as I’m writing this blog. The Old Main bells have been removed and turned into an artifact displayed on the southwest corner of Old Main, but like a neutered dog, Old Main still barks just as loud and proud.
I love the way you started off your post. The questions made it instantly engaging to the audience. There is a reason why music is such a pinnacle in human cultures: it affects us subconsciously through emotions, memories, and associations. I have never made the effort to memorize the Old Main bell, but you’re right, I could probably hum it from memory. Great post!
I totally agree, for my case I associate hearing the bell as a sign that classes are almost over since that is what it signaled in my High School. So whenever I hear it, I often associate it with the happy feeling that I can relax for the rest of the day because I have been conditioned to view it as such.
I always thought when I first got on campus, that the bell chime was a bit annoying at first. However what you said at the beginning of the post really resonated with me, I find myself predicting the tune all the time! I like the way you addressed emotion and music, as I believe those two are very intertwined. I listen to music depending on my mood and change it as well according to how I’m feeling. I never really knew the reason, but after reading your post I see where that is coming from. Very interesting concept, and a great post!
Funnily enough old main chimed its classic tune during our blog session today. I never thought about it in the way that you described in this post, but I think you are very right about how hearing the bell is a way that all Penn State students are connected. It is undeniable that music and emotions are deeply connected, and I think Old Main’s bell is a great example of that which everybody in this class can relate to.
I’m really surprised that you brought up classical conditioning in this situation and related it to Old Main’s Bell! In the typical sense when classical is thought to students the example chosen to make the topic understandable is usually with behavior being a physical response. What I mean is that in the Pavlov’s example we can see the dogs physically drooling and get excited about food/ringing of the bell, but not all classical conditioning is like that, and I am really happy to have found someone who understands that. One way that I would explain the topic to someone is that language is technically classical conditioning too. To an infant “Dinner Time” has no meaning, but once they realize that “Dinner Time” means food then they will anticipate food even if they don’t physically show it. Do you think language can be thought of as classical conditioning?
Hi Carolyn! I love your touch of psychology in this post! I actually found Pavlov’s experiment to be one of the most interesting in my previous psychology courses! the concept of classical conditioning is applicable and relatable to pretty much everyone, we can all recall a time where we had gone through that! In your case, it was the bell of Old Main and the associations that cam e about due to your environment or stimuli. It is a connection that is often overlooked, but you described it perfectly. I , myself, have always considered that bell sound to be a reminder that time is passing. This is simply because I usually hear it when I am in a rush to get somewhere or get something done quickly in general. Im only aware of it in those moments more strongly associating those memories and thoughts with it. For that reason, it’s not that “emotional” of a connections it may be for you and others personally, but it surely is an indication of classical conditioning for me! I wonder though, do others thinks more like me as well, or is there a general consensus that the bell is like the “pride” or “allegiance” of being a Penn State student as you described?
Hi Carolyn! It was super interesting to read your blog post since I just had an exam on classical conditioning in Pysch 100! Anyway, Pavlov’s theory is really interesting as it really makes you reflect internally about some of the behaviors that you are subconsciously conditioned to. I also loved the way you started this because it really made me think and realize how crazy that might be. Do you think that other Penn State students think and recognize the Old Main chime the same way, or do they rather ignore it?