Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance

Beran, M. J., James, B. T., French, K., Haseltine, E. L., & Kleider-Offutt, H. M. (2023). Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance. Consciousness and Cognition, 113, 103548. doi:10.1016/j.concog.2023.103548

Abstract

Aphantasia was studied in a sample of 5,010 adults from the general population in the United States. The self-reported prevalence of aphantasia was found to be 8.9%. However, when assessed through visual imagery scales, the prevalence dropped to 1.5%, indicating that not all self-reported aphantasic individuals exhibited low visual imagery. Those who identified as aphantasic reported lower dream frequencies and self-talk, as well as poorer memory performance compared to those with average or high mental imagery. Interestingly, individuals with aphantasia showed a preference for written instruction over video instruction for learning a new task. The study suggests that using both scale measures and self-identification may offer a more consistent understanding of individuals lacking visual imagery.

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to see if people with aphantasia—the inability to create mental images—process visual information differently when they aren't required to use their "mind's eye." They specifically looked at how well people could remember details and spatial layouts from pictures they had just seen.

How They Studied It

The study involved over 1,000 participants who were divided into groups based on their imagery strength: those with aphantasia, those with low imagery, and those with typical imagery. Participants viewed three detailed illustrations—a safari map, a food cart scene, and a bedroom. Afterward, they answered specific questions about what they saw, such as the number of items, their colors, and where objects were located in relation to one another.

What They Found

Surprisingly, people with aphantasia performed just as well as those with typical imagery on almost all memory questions. They were equally accurate at remembering how many food carts were in a scene or which animal was furthest to the left on a map. This suggests that while aphantasics cannot "re-watch" the scene in their minds, they are highly effective at storing and retrieving visual facts and spatial relationships using non-visual strategies.

What This Might Mean

These findings suggest that aphantasia is specifically a lack of the experience of mental imagery, rather than a general memory deficit. It shows that the brain has multiple ways to store visual information; you don't need to be able to "see" a picture in your head to remember exactly what was in it. However, because this study used immediate recall, more research is needed to see if these memory strengths hold up over longer periods of time.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found a slight inconsistency in how people describe their experience: about 45% of people who initially said they had "no mental imagery" later reported experiencing rare, brief flashes of images when asked more specific follow-up questions.

Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance

Abstract

Authors

Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance

Abstract

Authors

Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance

Abstract

Authors

Assessing aphantasia prevalence and the relation of self-reported imagery abilities and memory task performance

Abstract

Authors

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

What This Study Is About

How They Studied It

What They Found

What This Might Mean

One Interesting Detail

Joel Pearson

Merlin Monzel

Adam Zeman

Rebecca Keogh

Martin Reuter

Juha Silvanto

Paolo Bartolomeo

Carla Dance

Jianghao Liu

Fraser Milton