On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

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Bruder, J., & Zehra, M. (n.d.). On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample. doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3902941/v1

Abstract

Sensory imagery, such as visual imagery, is assumed to be a universal cognitive ability, yet a current research gap is a lack of cultural diversity in the existing literature. Further, research has primarily focused on visual imagery, as opposed to other sensory imagery. Visual imagery presents with a large degree of individual variability and includes two extreme forms, aphantasia and hyperphantasia. This study investigated sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample. Participants (N = 636) completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) scale and the Plymouth Sensory Imagery Questionnaire (Psi-Q). Altogether 5.0% of participants fell within the aphantasia range (VVIQ: 16–32) and 12.1% within the hyperphantasia range (VVIQ: 75–80). Across the sample, no VVIQ differences were found for gender, age, occupation, or education. VVIQ scores positively correlated with all imagery scales in the Psi-Q, suggesting imagery across senses is not independent. To explore cultural differences, participants were divided into five cultural groups: 1) Western Educated Industrialized Rich & Democratic (WEIRD) (n = 89); 2) South-East Asia (SEA, n = 121); 3) South Asia (n = 180); 4) Middle East and North Africa (MENA, n = 86), and 5) Arabian Gulf (Arab, n = 43). WEIRD and SEA participants reported significantly higher levels of visual imagery in the VVIQ than those from MENA. Within the Psi-Q sensory subscales, SEA and WEIRD participants reported significantly higher imagery than MENA and Arabian Gulf participants. In conclusion, this study contributes to previous prevalence reports for aphantasia and hyperphantasia in a novel sample and demonstrates the need to consider culture when investigating imagery across all senses.

Authors

Jennifer Bruder2
Masooma Zehra2

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if aphantasia—the inability to create mental images—looks the same in people from different parts of the world. Most previous research has focused on "WEIRD" populations (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic), so this study expanded the search to include people from the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia.

How They Studied It

The researchers recruited over 700 participants through social media and university networks, specifically targeting regions like the Arabian Gulf and South Asia. Participants completed the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ), which asks people to rate how clearly they can "see" certain scenes in their mind’s eye. They also answered questions about their memory, their dreams, and how they recognize faces.

What They Found

The study found that aphantasia exists across all the cultures studied, not just in Western countries. People with aphantasia in these diverse groups reported similar experiences to those in previous studies: they had a harder time remembering specific details from their own lives (autobiographical memory) and were less likely to have vivid, "movie-like" dreams. However, the study also found that people with aphantasia were just as good at "spatial" tasks—like imagining how an object looks when rotated—as those who can visualize clearly.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that aphantasia is a universal human variation in how the brain processes information, rather than something tied to a specific culture or upbringing. It reinforces the idea that the brain has two different pathways for "seeing": one for "what" an object looks like (which is affected in aphantasia) and one for "where" things are in space (which remains intact). One limitation is that the study relied on people volunteering through social media, which might attract people who are already curious about their imagery.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found that while people with aphantasia struggle to picture things, they often have a lower sensitivity to bright lights and glare, suggesting that the way the brain handles internal images might be linked to how it processes physical light from the outside world.

On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

Abstract

Authors

On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

Abstract

Authors

On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

Abstract

Authors

On the characteristics of aphantasia, hyperphantasia and sensory imagery in a multi-cultural sample

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

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