Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. Music influences vividness and content of imagined journeys in a directed visual imagery task
 
research article

Music influences vividness and content of imagined journeys in a directed visual imagery task

Herff, Steffen A.  
•
Cecchetti, Gabriele  
•
Taruffi, Liila
Show more
August 6, 2021
Scientific Reports

Directed, intentional imagination is pivotal for self-regulation in the form of escapism and therapies for a wide variety of mental health conditions, such anxiety and stress disorders, as well as phobias. Clinical application in particular benefits from increasing our understanding of imagination, as well as non-invasive means of influencing it. To investigate imagination, this study draws from the prior observation that music can influence the imagined content during non-directed mind-wandering, as well as the finding that relative orientation within time and space is retained in imagination. One hundred participants performed a directed imagination task that required watching a video of a figure travelling towards a barely visible landmark, and then closing their eyes and imagining a continuation of the journey. During each imagined journey, participants either listened to music or silence. After the imagined journeys, participants reported vividness, the imagined time passed and distance travelled, as well as the imagined content. Bayesian mixed effects models reveal strong evidence that vividness, sentiment, as well imagined time passed and distances travelled, are influenced by the music, and show that aspects of these effects can be modelled through features such as tempo. The results highlight music's potential to support therapies such as Exposure Therapy and Imagery Rescripting, which deploy directed imagination as a clinical tool.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
research article
DOI
10.1038/s41598-021-95260-8
Web of Science ID

WOS:000684554100004

Author(s)
Herff, Steffen A.  
Cecchetti, Gabriele  
Taruffi, Liila
Deguernel, Ken  
Date Issued

2021-08-06

Publisher

Nature Portfolio

Published in
Scientific Reports
Volume

11

Issue

1

Article Number

15990

Subjects

Multidisciplinary Sciences

•

Science & Technology - Other Topics

•

cognitive-behavioral therapy

•

mental-imagery

•

mind

•

emotions

•

memory

•

imagination

•

perception

•

mechanisms

•

melodies

•

reality

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
DCML  
Available on Infoscience
August 28, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/180999
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés