Auditory imagery ability influences accuracy when singing with altered auditory feedback

In this preliminary study, we explored the relationship between auditory imagery ability and the maintenance of tonal and temporal accuracy when singing and audiating with altered auditory feedback (AAF). Actively performing participants sang and audiated (sang mentally but not aloud) a self-selected piece in AAF conditions, including upward pitch-shifts and delayed auditory feedback (DAF), and with speech distraction. Participants with higher self-reported scores on the Bucknell Auditory Imagery Scale (BAIS) produced a tonal reference that was less disrupted by pitch shifts and speech distraction than musicians with lower scores. However, there was no observed effect of BAIS score on temporal deviation when singing with DAF. Auditory imagery ability was not related to the experience of having studied music theory formally, but was significantly related to the experience of performing. The significant effect of auditory imagery ability on tonal reference deviation remained even after partialling out the effect of experience of performing. The results indicate that auditory imagery ability plays a key role in maintaining an internal tonal center during singing but has at most a weak effect on temporal consistency. In this article, we outline future directions in understanding the multifaceted role of auditory imagery ability in singers' accuracy and expression.