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Familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying goes. But psychologists say that repetition does something powerful to our appreciation of everything we hear - be it music, comedy or a political speech.

The first time you hear a piece of music you may like it, you may hate it, you may be indifferent. Listen again and then again, and the chances are it will grow on you. It becomes familiar, enjoyable and may even enter your desert island discs.

This is the power of repetition in action. Politicians attempt to harness it by repeating key phrases, though that can be a double edged sword - remember Norman Lamont's "green shoots of recovery"?

The way our brains deal with repetition reveals some of the extraordinary ability we have to identify speech in an otherwise meaningless jumble of noise. Listen as Michael Blastland explores the power of repetition, the power of repetition.

Produced by Toby Murcott
A Pier production for 麻豆官网首页入口 Radio 4.