Earworms: Characterizing a form of everyday musical imagination
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24215/18530494e073Keywords:
earworm, involuntary musical imagery, musical memory, musicalityAbstract
Earworms, or Involuntary Musical Imagery (InMI), represent one of the most widespread forms of musical imagination, referring to the spontaneous mental experience of musical fragments that are generally melodic, familiar to the individual, and repetitive. The term InMI is imprecise, as it can encompass diverse phenomena such as obsessions or hallucinations, whereas earworms represent a more specific, everyday, and non-pathological experience that is highly prevalent, though still in an incipient stage of understanding. This paper aims to discuss (1) the current literature on the phenomenon, identifying emerging consensuses and controversial points, (2) certain methodological limitations, and (3) the current generalist interpretations that associate the experience with related cognitive concepts. Through a narrative review of theoretical and empirical research in the fields of musical cognition, psychology, and neuroscience, the results show that treating the phenomenon as mere involuntary recollection validates some intuitive predictors, such as repetitive musical exposure and associative triggers, but obscures mnemonic nuances specific to musical cognition. The article contributes to the interdisciplinary understanding of earworms, providing insights into their nature as a common manifestation of human musicality and suggesting the existence of some cognitive specificity in understanding the phenomenon.
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