Earworms: understanding and discussing involuntary musical imagery

B2
60 min
Premium
1

Think about these questions before watching. Share your ideas with a partner.

  1. Think about the last time a song got 'stuck on repeat' in your mind. What kind of music tends to do this to you, and do you find the experience more enjoyable or distracting?
  2. In your opinion, what makes a song so 'catchy' that it gets stuck in our heads, while other songs are easily forgotten?
  3. Some people say that hearing just a small part of a song, like from an advertisement, is more likely to create an 'earworm' than hearing the whole thing. Do you agree with this idea, and can you think of any examples from your own experience?
2

Watch the video carefully. Pay attention to the main ideas and key details.

Video script33 segments · click a timestamp to jump

got a song stuck in your head here's how

to get it unstuck according to science

the tldr is that you just have to chew

gum but I promise that the explanation

is totally worth sticking around for

scientists from the University of

reading figured this one out and it has

to do with something called sub

vocalization basically when you think

about lyrics or even just spoken words

something freaky is going on in your

subconscious even if you don't start

moving your jaw to sing along either out

loud or under your breath you're still

subconsciously preparing yourself to

sing or say those words the nerve

signals that would move your throat and

your jaw if you decided to sing are kind

of waking up and getting ready to make

noise that process is called

articulatory motor planning and it's a

really important part of how we turn our

thoughts into words in 2015 a study

found that chewing gum can help you get

an earworm unstuck from your head that's

probably because the jaw movement of

chewing interrupts those nerves that are

trying to get us to practice singing the

song that we're hearing if you want to

learn more about earworms and why they

even happen you can check out our latest

episode of science quickly wherever you

listen to podcasts

3

Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the video.

01According to the video, what is sub-vocalization?
Sample answerIt's what happens when you think about lyrics. Even if you're silent, your brain subconsciously sends signals to your jaw and throat to prepare them to sing the words.
02What scientific term does the video use for the process of our brain preparing to turn thoughts into words?
Sample answerThe video calls it 'articulatory motor planning'. It's described as an important step in how we speak or sing.
03In what way does chewing gum help to get rid of a song stuck in your head?
Sample answerThe physical action of chewing interferes with the nerve signals that are getting your mouth ready to sing. It basically interrupts the subconscious 'practice' of the song.
04How does the video explain the connection between the mental experience of an earworm and the physical body?
Sample answerIt shows that an earworm isn't just in your mind. Your brain is actually sending physical signals to your jaw and throat to get ready to sing, even if you don't notice it. This physical preparation is why a physical action like chewing can stop it.
4

Vocabulary

Vocabulary
These expressions will help you communicate more naturally about this topic.
Examples
To be on a loop — to repeat continuously in your mind.
This is an informal and very common way to describe a song or thought that is stuck in your head. Example: 'I can't focus; that commercial jingle has been on a loop in my brain all morning.'
A catchy melody — a tune that is pleasing, easy to remember, and often makes you want to sing it.
This is a key collocation used to describe why some songs become earworms. You can also talk about a 'catchy chorus' or a 'catchy hook'.
To crop up — to appear or happen unexpectedly.
This phrasal verb is useful for describing how earworms or other thoughts suddenly enter your mind. Example: 'The most random songs from my childhood just crop up in my head sometimes.'
To hum a tune — to sing a song with your lips closed, without pronouncing the words.
This often describes something you do subconsciously, without realizing it, which connects to the idea of sub-vocalization mentioned in the video.
To drive someone mad/crazy — to annoy or irritate someone very much.
This is a strong, informal idiom to express the frustration an earworm can cause. Example: 'This is the third day I've woken up with that song in my head. It's driving me mad!'
5

Decide if each statement is true or false. Correct the false ones.

01According to the video, your body subconsciously prepares to sing a song even when you are only thinking about the lyrics.
02The research mentioned in the video was conducted by scientists at the University of Cambridge.
03The video's main scientific explanation is that the physical act of chewing disrupts the mental process of 'practicing' a song.
04Articulatory motor planning is the name for the process where nerve signals prepare your throat and jaw to make noise.
05The study that confirmed the chewing gum method was published in 2005.
6

Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.

  1. The video suggests a scientific trick (chewing gum) to stop a song that's on a loop in your head. In your culture, are there any popular, non-scientific beliefs or methods for dealing with minor annoyances like this? Discuss their potential effectiveness.
  2. Marketing experts often try to create a catchy melody for jingles, hoping it becomes an earworm. Do you think this is a brilliant strategy that keeps a brand in people's minds, or can it backfire and drive people crazy, creating a negative association with the product?
  3. Based on your own experience, do you think these songs just crop up randomly, or are they often connected to your mood, recent events, or memories? Describe a time an earworm seemed particularly meaningful or strangely timed.