Reframing Aphantasia as Neurodiversity: Exploring Learning Barriers and Alternative Processing Strategies

Abstract

Aphantasia is defined as a variety of absence of voluntary mental imagery and is known to affect 3.9% of the population. Over time, aphantasia has been linked to ‘deficit’ and ‘defective visualisation’, ‘impaired ability’ and even ‘mental illness’. However, others, such as Monzel et al., have argued for aphantasia to be reframed as a neurodiversity. The reconceptualisation of aphantasia as an ‘intriguing variation in human experience’ demands more nuanced research that explores the lived experiences of those with aphantasia and its impact on learning and education from a non-tragic, non-deficit lens. Thus, this small-scale research project was conducted, employing a qualitative, single-method design with one cohort of undergraduate Education Studies students to meet this gap. Firstly, the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ-2) was used to recruit four students who showed aphantasia traits, self-identified as aphantasic, and who agreed to participate in semi-structured interviews. The research explored the impact of aphantasic traits on learning and the various alternative processing strategies that students developed to manage these traits throughout their educational journeys. The authors intend to use these initial findings to begin a conversation on how inclusive practices can be improved and to promote awareness and the development of effective learning strategies that are tailored to the particular learning needs of students with aphantasia.