Auditory imagery
Encyclopedia
In psychology
and neuropsychology
, auditory imagery is the subjective experience of hearing
in the absence of auditory
stimulation. It occurs when one mentally rehearses telephone numbers, or has a song "on the brain": the phenomenon is usually defined to be spontaneous (that is, not under direct conscious control); it can be distressing. Auditory imagery is used by neuropsychologists for investigating aspects of human cognition.
Writing in Nature
, David J. M. Kraemer and coworkers use magnetic resonance imaging
to determine whether the auditory cortex is recruited during auditory imagery of popular music.
Kraemer played excerpts of songs with lyrics (including Satisfaction
by the Rolling Stones), and to instrumental
s that contained no lyrics (including "The Pink Panther Theme").
Each subject rated each piece of music as either familiar or unknown. The music was then played to the subjects, but with short, 2-5 second
s portions of the track replaced with silent gaps of equal length. The neural activity in the subjects was then monitored during these gaps.
Kraemer then compared neural activity in the Brodmann area
of the brain during gaps in familiar music with activity during gaps in unfamiliar music (auditory imagery being assumed to occur during gaps in the familiar music but not in the unfamiliar music). Silent gaps embedded in familiar songs induced greater activation in auditory association areas than did silent gaps embedded in unknown songs, indicating that auditory imagery has elements in common with other mental imagery. The topic of mental imagery has focused upon visual mental imagery.
This research thus suggests a neural basis for the familiar experience of hearing a familiar melody in one's head. Kraemer emphasises the obligatory nature of the phenomenon: muting short gaps of familiar music was sufficient to trigger auditory imagery.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and neuropsychology
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology studies the structure and function of the brain related to specific psychological processes and behaviors. The term neuropsychology has been applied to lesion studies in humans and animals. It has also been applied to efforts to record electrical activity from individual cells in...
, auditory imagery is the subjective experience of hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
in the absence of auditory
Auditory system
The auditory system is the sensory system for the sense of hearing.- Outer ear :The folds of cartilage surrounding the ear canal are called the pinna...
stimulation. It occurs when one mentally rehearses telephone numbers, or has a song "on the brain": the phenomenon is usually defined to be spontaneous (that is, not under direct conscious control); it can be distressing. Auditory imagery is used by neuropsychologists for investigating aspects of human cognition.
Writing in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
, David J. M. Kraemer and coworkers use magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
to determine whether the auditory cortex is recruited during auditory imagery of popular music.
Kraemer played excerpts of songs with lyrics (including Satisfaction
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
by the Rolling Stones), and to instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
s that contained no lyrics (including "The Pink Panther Theme").
Each subject rated each piece of music as either familiar or unknown. The music was then played to the subjects, but with short, 2-5 second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s portions of the track replaced with silent gaps of equal length. The neural activity in the subjects was then monitored during these gaps.
Kraemer then compared neural activity in the Brodmann area
Brodmann area
A Brodmann area is a region of the cerebral cortex defined based on its cytoarchitectonics, or structure and organization of cells.-History:...
of the brain during gaps in familiar music with activity during gaps in unfamiliar music (auditory imagery being assumed to occur during gaps in the familiar music but not in the unfamiliar music). Silent gaps embedded in familiar songs induced greater activation in auditory association areas than did silent gaps embedded in unknown songs, indicating that auditory imagery has elements in common with other mental imagery. The topic of mental imagery has focused upon visual mental imagery.
This research thus suggests a neural basis for the familiar experience of hearing a familiar melody in one's head. Kraemer emphasises the obligatory nature of the phenomenon: muting short gaps of familiar music was sufficient to trigger auditory imagery.