Traffic jams: music and traffic noise interact to influence the vividness, sentiment, and spatiotemporal properties of directed mental imagery.

Ayyildiz C; Prince, JB; Delalande J; Herff, SA · 2026 · PubMed Central

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-07057-7

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Summary

This study investigates how background auditory environments—specifically music, traffic noise, and their combination—affect the characteristics of directed mental imagery. While music’s influence on cognition is well-documented, the effects of environmental noise, particularly when interacting with music, remain unclear. The researchers aimed to determine how these auditory contexts modulate the vividness, emotional sentiment, and spatiotemporal properties (imagined time and distance) of goal-directed mental imagery, with implications for clinical and recreational applications. The experiment involved 107 undergraduate participants who completed a within-subject design using a directed mental imagery paradigm. Participants viewed a 15-second video inducer depicting a figure ascending a hill toward a distant landmark, then closed their eyes to imagine the figure continuing the journey for 90 seconds. Each trial occurred under one of four auditory conditions: silence, music, traffic noise, or a combination of both (with noise set 15 dB softer than music). After each trial, participants rated imagery vividness, estimated imagined time and distance, and provided written descriptions of their imagery. Bayesian Mixed-Effects models were used to analyze the data, controlling for participant variability and musical expertise. The results demonstrated that both music and traffic noise significantly enhanced imagery vividness compared to silence, with no significant difference between the two. However, their effects on emotional sentiment diverged: music increased positive sentiment, whereas traffic noise alone did not differ from silence. Crucially, adding traffic noise to music diminished the positive emotional sentiment evoked by music alone. Regarding spatiotemporal properties, both music and traffic noise increased the imagined distance traveled compared to silence. However, only music (and the combined condition) significantly extended the imagined time traveled. Consequently, participants imagined traveling at faster speeds during traffic noise conditions compared to silence or music alone. Additionally, traffic-related themes appeared more frequently in imagery descriptions during conditions involving traffic noise. These findings indicate that music and traffic noise interact in complex ways to shape mental imagery, influencing not just clarity but also emotional tone and perceived spatiotemporal dynamics. The study highlights that while both stimuli enhance vividness, traffic noise can counteract the positive emotional effects of music and alter the perceived speed of imagined journeys. This has significant implications for imagery-based therapies and performance enhancement, suggesting that the auditory environment must be carefully controlled, as background noise may disrupt the intended emotional and temporal qualities of guided imagery.

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• music audio mood
• auditory