Involuntary musical imagery or earworms are well-documented psychological phenomena
Involuntary musical imagery, commonly known as earworms, is widely documented in psychological literature as a ubiquitous and well-established cognitive phenomenon experienced by the vast majority of people.
The retrieved papers consistently document involuntary musical imagery (earworms) through surveys, interviews, literature reviews, and cross-cultural psychometric validations. There is no evidence refuting the claim; multiple studies confirm it as a recognized psychological phenomenon.
Victoria J. Williamson, Sagar R. Jilka, Joshua Fry, Sebastian Finkel, Daniel Müllensiefen, Lauren Stewart. How do “earworms” start? Classifying the everyday circumstances of Involuntary Musical Imagery. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735611418553
Paper [0] classifies everyday circumstances of involuntary musical imagery (INMI), providing empirical documentation of earworms.
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Victoria J. Williamson, Sagar R. Jilka. Experiencing earworms: An interview study of Involuntary Musical Imagery. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735613483848
Paper [1] investigates the subjective phenomenology of earworms through interviews, confirming it as a robust psychological experience.
Liikkanen LA, Jakubowski K. Involuntary musical imagery as a component of ordinary music cognition: A review of empirical evidence.. 2020. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-020-01750-7
Paper [2] provides a comprehensive qualitative review of empirical research, showing that INMI is a well-established and ubiquitous phenomenon.
Aref Tabahori, Imanollah Bigdeli, Hossein Kareshki. Validation of the Persian Involuntary Musical Imagery Scale alongside multifaceted investigation of earworms among Iranian college students. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1480633
Paper [9] validates a scale measuring involuntary musical imagery across cultures, further documenting the phenomenon.
Niyitegeka J, Haysey O, Abellaneda-Pérez K, Au CH. Transcranial magnetic stimulation as a novel approach to effectively treat musical obsession (stuck song syndrome): a case series and a systematic review of case reports.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44192-025-00145-1
Paper [11] notes that earworms and related involuntary musical phenomena are experienced by the vast majority of the population.
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