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BAIS (Bucknell Auditory Imagery Scale) measures auditory imagery—the mind's ear—only. Imagination Index includes an auditory dimension plus five other senses. Use BAIS for auditory-specific research; use Imagination Index to see whether auditory imagery is high or low relative to your full profile.
Last updated: May 20, 2026
If you can't hear songs in your head, BAIS and similar tools quantify auditory imagery. But anauralia (auditory aphantasia) only fully makes sense alongside your other sense scores—something BAIS alone cannot provide.
| BAIS | Imagination Index | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Auditory imagery only | Six senses incl. auditory |
| Use case | Music cognition research | Full Imagery Profile |
| Detects anauralia | Auditory dimension only | Auditory + cross-sense context |
| Best for | Published auditory norms | Musicians, writers, mixed profiles |
Developed at Bucknell University, BAIS captures how vividly people hear music, voices, and environmental sounds internally. It separates musical and non-musical auditory imagery in some versions.
Many musicians with visual aphantasia rely on auditory and motor channels. A full profile shows whether weak internal hearing is offset by strong movement imagery—or whether notation and recording should anchor practice instead of audiation drills.
Anauralia means low voluntary auditory imagery. BAIS quantifies it on the auditory dimension. Imagination Index adds context: you may have high motor or visual imagery even when internal hearing is weak.
Yes. Procedural learning, notation, recording, and motor rehearsal are viable paths. Profile data helps you stop forcing audiation when another channel works better.
Free core assessment · about 12 minutes · no credit card required. See your six-sense Imagery Profile and optional percentile ranking.
