The Impact of Aphantasia on Reasoning: Live Science Talk With Damien Le Clézio and Maël Delem

Does Visual Imagery Actually Help Us Reason?

For years, scientists have debated whether mental images help or hinder our ability to think logically. The Visual Imagery Impedance Hypothesis suggests that vivid mental images can actually slow down abstract reasoning by introducing irrelevant visual details. But what happens when someone can't create mental images at all?

Join researchers Damien Le Clézio and Maël Delem as they present new findings from their study examining reasoning performance in people with aphantasia. By comparing how aphantasic individuals and typical imagers solve logical problems involving visual, spatial, and control relationships, this research reveals fascinating insights about the hidden costs and benefits of different cognitive styles.

What We'll Explore

During this talk, we'll discuss:

The visual imagery impedance effect – How vivid mental images can actually slow down reasoning on certain types of logical problems

Aphantasia's surprising patterns – Why people without visual imagery show different performance profiles, and what this reveals about alternative reasoning strategies

Hypophantasia vs. complete aphantasia – How even minimal visual imagery appears to influence reasoning performance

Cognitive style matters – Why "visualizers," "spatializers," and "verbalizers" perform differently on the same reasoning tasks

The temporal dynamics of reasoning – How analyzing response times across different problem phases reveals when visual imagery actually interferes

Alternative strategies – What verbal, spatial, and sensorimotor approaches aphantasic individuals use to solve logical problems

Potential advantages – Whether aphantasia might confer benefits in certain types of reasoning and problem-solving

What to Expect

Science Talk: Damien and Maël will present findings from their study using four-term series reasoning problems, explaining how they measured the impact of visual imagery on logical reasoning. Learn about the innovative temporal analysis that reveals exactly when visual imagery helps or hinders reasoning processes, and discover why cognitive style classification may be just as important as visual imagery ability.

Live Q&A: Ask Damien and Maël directly about their methodology, what surprised them most about the results, and what implications this research has for understanding reasoning in aphantasia and beyond.

Duration: Approximately 1 hour (including Q&A)

How to Attend

🎥 Live Session (Members Only): Join the live talk and participate in the Q&A in real-time. This interactive experience is exclusive to Aphantasia Network members. Not a member? Join today to participate!

📺 Recording (Free for Everyone): Can't make it live or not a member? No problem! A full recording will be posted under Resources > Videos & Interviews and available free to everyone after the event.

Perfect For:

Individuals with aphantasia curious about whether their lack of mental imagery affects their reasoning abilities

Researchers interested in cognitive styles, mental imagery, and individual differences in reasoning

People who identify as "visual thinkers" or "verbal thinkers" wondering how cognitive style impacts performance

Educators designing learning experiences for students with diverse cognitive profiles

Anyone fascinated by questions like "Is visual imagery necessary for logical thinking?"

Psychology students interested in cutting-edge research challenging established theories

About the Researchers

Damien Le Clézio and Maël Delem are PhD candidates in cognitive psychology at the Laboratoire d'Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs, Université Lumière Lyon 2, France. Their collaborative work explores how aphantasia influences various cognitive processes, with particular interest in reasoning, memory, and individual differences in mental representation. This research was conducted under the supervision of Gaën Plancher, who serves as principal investigator of the study and leads a broader research program investigating the cognitive profiles and strategies of people with aphantasia. Gaën Plancher is affiliated with both the Laboratoire d'Étude des Mécanismes Cognitifs and the Institut Universitaire de France. Merlin Monzel from the University of Bonn contributed to the project as a secondary collaborator.