Relationships Between Everyday Music Listening Habits and Involuntary Musical Imagery: Does Music Listening Condition Musical Imagery?

Using an online survey and a week-long diary study, the relationship between music listening behaviors in everyday life and the occurrence of involuntary musical imagery (INMI) is investigated. It is expected that musical imagery may occur as a consequence of everyday conditioning through music listening, with everyday listening shaping INMI experiences. The results confirm a close relationship between listening behavior and experiences of INMI, providing tentative support for this prediction, as the study is exploratory and correlational. In particular, a differentiation is found between positive and negative experiences of INMI, which relate to frequency and type of music engagement. Additionally, support is found for the notion that INMI may function as a substitute for actual music listening and can serve similar functions in the absence of music.