system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Do we hum and sing songs to ourselves to release dopamine without actually listening to music?

As per title.
gpt
Kinda! Humming and singing songs can be considered a vocal form of what is called stereotypy, which is basically any repetitive behavior that feels good on its own, such as finger/foot tapping, hand drumming, hair twirling, etc. When these behaviors occur frequently when the individual is alone, we can assume that the sensation itself may be keeping the behavior going. Since that sensation is reinforcing, it likely releases some dopamine to the brain to get that behavior and good sensation going. If this only occurred in social contexts now, it may not just be the sensation of humming and singing that is keeping the behavior going, but perhaps the attention of others (positive or negative)

Everyone engages in stereotypy, although it is a characteristic of many autistic individuals to engage in it excessively, often in "bigger" topographies, and regardless of context. This may be partially due to social consequences being less impactful to reduce these behaviors, but still providing them with this sensation, which may or may not be more intense than what a neurotypical individual would experience.