Earworm Occurences and Repeat Exposure

Faculty Mentor

Lindsey Stone

Location

Russell Union Ballroom

Type of Research

Proposed

Session Format

Poster Presentation

College

Jack Averitt College of Graduate Studies

Department

Education

Abstract

This research proposal aims to explore the psychological phenomenon of earworms, specifically investigating the influence of repeated exposure to musical stimuli on their occurrence. Earworms are involuntary musical images that seemingly ruminate in one's mind and are thought to arise not from the genre of music but rather from the frequency of exposure. The reason why earworms are the focus of this study is because utilizing the repetitive nature of earworms could have great implications on various sectors of life. This study intends to investigate earworms by subjecting volunteers to various genres of music, including one genre comprised entirely of AI-generated tracks to control for familiarity and lyrical content biases.  We hypothesize that repetitive exposure to a musical piece will significantly increase the likelihood of that piece becoming an earworm, irrespective of its genre. The findings of this research could have substantial implications for multiple real-world applications. Understanding the earworm phenomenon could enhance study techniques, allowing students to utilize music or the devices used in music as a tool for more effective learning. Additionally, insights could prove to be valuable to the fields of advertising and marketing, optimizing the creation of impactful and memorable commercial jingles. This study seeks to contribute to the psychological literature of earworms by clarifying the mechanisms of involuntary musical imagery and opening avenues for practical exploitation of the earworm effect. We plan to find out that repeated exposure is the primary cause of an earworm.

Program Description

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Start Date

4-23-2026 10:00 AM

End Date

4-23-2026 12:00 PM

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Apr 23rd, 10:00 AM Apr 23rd, 12:00 PM

Earworm Occurences and Repeat Exposure

Russell Union Ballroom

This research proposal aims to explore the psychological phenomenon of earworms, specifically investigating the influence of repeated exposure to musical stimuli on their occurrence. Earworms are involuntary musical images that seemingly ruminate in one's mind and are thought to arise not from the genre of music but rather from the frequency of exposure. The reason why earworms are the focus of this study is because utilizing the repetitive nature of earworms could have great implications on various sectors of life. This study intends to investigate earworms by subjecting volunteers to various genres of music, including one genre comprised entirely of AI-generated tracks to control for familiarity and lyrical content biases.  We hypothesize that repetitive exposure to a musical piece will significantly increase the likelihood of that piece becoming an earworm, irrespective of its genre. The findings of this research could have substantial implications for multiple real-world applications. Understanding the earworm phenomenon could enhance study techniques, allowing students to utilize music or the devices used in music as a tool for more effective learning. Additionally, insights could prove to be valuable to the fields of advertising and marketing, optimizing the creation of impactful and memorable commercial jingles. This study seeks to contribute to the psychological literature of earworms by clarifying the mechanisms of involuntary musical imagery and opening avenues for practical exploitation of the earworm effect. We plan to find out that repeated exposure is the primary cause of an earworm.