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Individual variability in mental imagery vividness does not predict perceptual interference with imagery: A replication study of Cui et al. (2007).

DOI: 10.1037/xge0001756
Azañón, E., Pounder, Z., Figueroa, A., & Reeder, R. R. (2025). Individual variability in mental imagery vividness does not predict perceptual interference with imagery: a replication study of cui et al. (2007).. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 154(7), 2043–2057. doi:10.1037/xge0001756

Abstract

Vivid visual mental imagery is thought to influence perceptual processing, but much of the current knowledge on this comes from one highly cited, though underpowered (N = 8) study from 2007, which found that more vivid imagery increases interference between imagined and perceptual content. However, that study has not been repeated since. We therefore conducted a conceptual (Experiment 1) and direct (Experiment 2) replication study. In Experiment 1, we recruited 185 online participants across the mental imagery spectrum, including individuals with self-reported aphantasia (impoverished or absent mental imagery) and hyperphantasia (extremely vivid imagery). In Experiment 2, we recruited 56 participants, 28 with self-reported aphantasia and 28 gender- and age-matched typical imagers. Consistent with the original 2007 study's interpretation, we predicted that those with more vivid imagery would exhibit stronger imagery-perception interference, as measured by decreased performance in a priming task when a color and word were congruent (e.g., red prime, word "RED") compared to incongruent (e.g., blue prime, word "RED"). We were unable to replicate this effect in either experiment. Instead, we observed performance benefits for color-word congruency across the mental imagery spectrum, with no difference in the magnitude of this effect across imagery ability or vividness, even among those with extreme imagery variations (aphantasia, hyperphantasia). Interestingly, we observed a relationship between a measure of mental imagery externalism and the congruency effect, suggesting that individuals with the ability to project their mental images into the external environment (i.e., prophantasia) may exhibit stronger congruency effects. The results of this study challenge our current understanding of the role of mental imagery in perception. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Authors

  • Elena Azañón3
  • Zoë Pounder5
  • Alec Figueroa2
  • Reshanne R. Reeder5

Overview/Introduction

Mental imagery, the ability to visualize things in our mind, is believed to affect how we perceive the world around us. A well-known study from 2007 suggested that people with more vivid mental imagery experience more interference between what they imagine and what they actually see. However, this study involved only eight participants and has not been replicated since. To address this, researchers conducted two new studies to see if they could replicate the original findings with larger groups of participants.

Methodology

Experiment 1: Conceptual Replication

  • Participants: 185 online participants from various mental imagery backgrounds, including those with aphantasia (little to no mental imagery) and hyperphantasia (extremely vivid imagery).
  • Task: Participants completed a priming task where they identified color words on a screen. The words could be congruent (e.g., "RED" on a red background) or incongruent (e.g., "RED" on a blue background).

Experiment 2: Direct Replication

  • Participants: 56 participants, split evenly between those with aphantasia and typical imagers.
  • Task: Similar to Experiment 1, but conducted in a laboratory setting to closely mimic the original 2007 study.

Key Findings

  • Contrary to the 2007 study, neither experiment found that vivid mental imagery increased interference in the task.
  • Instead, all participants, regardless of their mental imagery vividness, showed improved performance when the color word and background were congruent.
  • A new concept, prophantasia, was identified. This is the ability to project mental images into the external environment, similar to augmented reality. Participants with prophantasia showed stronger congruency effects.

Implications

  • These findings challenge the idea that vivid mental imagery affects perceptual processing as previously thought.
  • The study highlights the importance of replicating influential studies to verify their findings.
  • The concept of prophantasia opens new avenues for research into how projecting mental images externally might influence perception.

Limitations

  • The study did not find a correlation between mental imagery vividness and perceptual interference, which may suggest that other factors influence this relationship.
  • The concept of prophantasia is new and requires further exploration to understand its implications fully.
In conclusion, while vivid mental imagery might not interfere with perception as once believed, the ability to project mental images externally could play a significant role. This study underscores the complexity of mental imagery and the need for continued research in this area.