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Failures to Imagine

DOI: 10.1177/0276236616679963
Maxwell, R., Lynn, S. J., & Lilienfeld, S. (2017). Failures to imagine. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 36(3), 270–300. doi:10.1177/0276236616679963

Abstract

Although interest in the relationship between mental imagery and psychopathology has increased greatly over the last decade, few publications to date have examined relationships between personality-related psychopathology and mental imagery use, abilities, or both. However, we have reason to expect that substantive relationships may exist. For example, studies have consistently linked psychopathy and borderline personality disorder to problems in emotion experience and emotion regulation, and a growing number of studies indicate that deficits in visual mental imagery use and ability in particular may contribute to such problems. Using correlational data from multiple self-report measures of normal and pathological personality functioning and visual mental imagery, our study presents preliminary evidence for lower levels of self-reported visual mental imagery use, abilities, or both among noncriminal individuals with higher levels of self-reported psychopathy and individuals with greater emotional regulation difficulties, a core feature of borderline personality disorder. We also found significant relationships among self-reported visual mental imagery use, ability, or both, and personality variables shown to strongly predict psychopathy and emotional regulation difficulties. Limitations of the study, especially its reliance on a correlational, cross-sectional design, are discussed, and implications for future research are explored.

Authors

  • Reed Maxwell1
  • Steven Jay Lynn1
  • Scott Lilienfeld1

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if there is a link between a person’s "mind’s eye" and their personality. Specifically, they looked at whether having a harder time picturing things mentally is connected to psychopathic traits or having trouble managing big emotions.

How They Studied It

The researchers worked with 275 college students. These weren't "criminals"—they were regular students who volunteered to take a series of detailed surveys. The participants answered questions about:
  • Mental imagery: How clearly they can picture things in their heads (people with aphantasia have a "blind mind's eye" and cannot do this at all).
  • Empathy: How well they understand and feel other people's emotions.
  • Personality: Traits like impulsivity or being "cold-hearted."
  • Emotion regulation: How well they can control their feelings when they get upset.

What They Found

The study found that students who reported "blurry" or weak mental imagery were more likely to have higher scores for psychopathic traits and more trouble controlling their emotions.
On the other hand, students who could create very vivid pictures in their minds tended to have much higher levels of empathy. It’s like their "mental movie screen" helps them "see" and feel what someone else is going through.

What This Might Mean

This research suggests that our ability to imagine things visually might be a tool our brains use to process feelings. If you can’t "see" the consequences of an action in your head, or "see" the pain on someone’s face later, it might be harder to regulate your behavior or feel empathy.
However, we have to be careful: this was a correlational study, which means it shows a link but doesn't prove that aphantasia *causes* these traits. It’s also based on college students, so we can't be sure if the same results would apply to everyone in the world.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found that people who have a hard time picturing the faces of loved ones might also struggle more with a fear of being abandoned. Without a clear "mental photo" to hold onto, it might be harder for the brain to feel secure when that person isn't around!
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.