Visual working memory in aphantasia: Retained accuracy and capacity with a different strategy
Abstract
A recent study investigated visual working memory performance in individuals with aphantasia, a condition characterized by the absence of visual imagery. The researchers assessed visual working memory task performance in this population using various lab and clinical working memory tasks. The results showed that aphantasic individuals did not have any differences in capacity limits for visual, general number, or spatial working memory compared to controls. They also performed similarly on visual components of clinical working memory tests compared to verbal components. However, the researchers found significant differences in the strategies used by aphantasic individuals in all memory tasks and their visual memory accuracy did not show a significant orientation effect, suggesting a non-visual imagery strategy. These findings suggest that visual imagery and working memory are not the same, with imagery being just one tool used to solve visual working memory tasks.
Authors
- Rebecca Keogh17
- Marcus Wicken3
- Joel Pearson33