Understanding musical soundtracks

Advocates that a framework for exploring the psychological effects of musical soundtracks (MSTs) should focus on meaning, structure, memory, awareness, and experimental aesthetics. MSTs concern 2 art forms (music and cinema) and 2 sensory modalities (auditory and visual). As such, they touch many aspects of psychology and provide a challenging domain for investigation. Research representing these topics is reviewed, and suggestions for new research are made. It is proposed that the historically significant associationist approach is applicable to these contemporary issues.