Abstract
In this study, we investigated individual traits that influence the frequency of involuntary musical imagery (INMI) and the emotional valence of these occurrences using the experience sampling method (ESM) that measures INMI in daily life at the moment they occur. As individual traits, the effects of non-clinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) tendencies, personality traits, and musical expertise were examined. Among them, we were particularly interested in the effect of OC tendencies that are assumed to be related to INMI but are yet to be fully examined using ESM. A total of 101 university students completed questionnaires that assessed OC tendencies, the Big Five personality traits, and musical expertise. During the seven-day sampling period, participants received smartphone notifications six times per day and responded by stating whether they had experienced INMI and described the emotional characteristics of those occurrences. A multilevel analysis showed the relationship between OC tendencies and INMI. A positive effect was observed for intrusive thoughts (obsession) on the occurrence of INMI. Regarding the emotional characteristics of INMI, a negative effect of compulsive washing was observed on both the pleasantness of INMI experiences and the extent to which the participants liked the music they had heard internally. The effects of both personality traits and musical expertise were also observed in the analysis of INMI occurrences, both of which are consistent with previous findings. In summary, the present study using ESM supports previous findings on individual traits that affect INMI and clarifies them with additional detail and accuracy.
Highlights
Involuntary musical imagery (INMI, colloquially called “earworm”) is a phenomenon in which an excerpt of music is perceived spontaneously in the absence of a corresponding external stimulus and repeats itself without conscious control
We examined the effects of individual traits on emotional characteristics and the frequency of involuntary musical imagery (INMI)
We investigated the influence of OC tendencies on the frequency and emotional characteristics of INMI using a seven-day experience sampling method (ESM) survey
Summary
Involuntary musical imagery (INMI, colloquially called “earworm”) is a phenomenon in which an excerpt of music is perceived spontaneously in the absence of a corresponding external stimulus and repeats itself without conscious control. Farrugia et al [12] reported that the negative valence score of the Involuntary Musical Imagery Scale (IMIS) [11], which measures general tendency to feel INMI as disturbing and unpleasant experience, was widely distributed among individuals. This result indicates that while most people rarely experience INMI as negative, some people sometimes or often refer to it as a disturbing and unpleasant experience. It is important to investigate the factors that influence emotional valence and the frequency of INMI to understand the nature and mechanism of this phenomenon
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