Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision

Tags:

Thorudottir, S., Asgeirsson, A. G., & Sigurdardottir, H. M. (n.d.). Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision. doi:10.31234/osf.io/ahtsd

Abstract

Visual mental imagery, or the ability to see with the mind’s eye, varies between individuals. The vividness of visual imagery ranges from people with aphantasia who experience no mental image at all, to those with hyperphantasia who experience very clear and vivid mental imagery. In the present study we investigated the possible connection between the vividness of visual mental imagery and precision of information retrieval from visual memory. We predicted that people experiencing weak or no mental imagery are poorer at retrieving information with great details from memory, such as the color of objects, than those experiencing strong and vivid mental imagery. This was tested in three experiments: a visual perception task, a visual working memory task, and a long-term visual memory task. The Vividness of Visual Imagery (VVIQ) questionnaire was used to assess imagery vividness. The perception task served as a control. A colored sample object and a grayscale test object were presented simultaneously. In the working memory and long-term memory tasks, a delay was added between the presentation of colored sample objects and grayscale test objects. Participants were asked to adjust the test object’s color until it matched that of the corresponding sample object. Our findings indicate no association between mental imagery vividness and memory precision. Possible explanations for this lack of an association are discussed.

Authors

Sandra Thorudottir2
Arni Gunnar Asgeirsson2
Heida Maria Sigurdardottir3

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if people with aphantasia—the inability to create mental images—struggle with visual working memory. Specifically, they tested whether a lack of "mind's eye" pictures makes it harder to remember precise details like the exact shade of a color.

How They Studied It

The study compared a group of people with aphantasia to a control group of people with typical mental imagery. Participants completed a "color-matching" task where they saw several colored objects and had to remember their exact hues. After a short delay, they were shown one of the objects in gray and asked to pick its original color from a continuous color wheel. This allowed researchers to measure the "precision" of their memory—how close their guess was to the actual color.

What They Found

The researchers found that people with aphantasia performed just as accurately as those with typical imagery. Both groups were able to remember the specific colors with the same level of precision. Interestingly, the study also looked at whether "involuntary" imagery (pictures that pop into the mind unbidden) interfered with memory. While people with typical imagery were sometimes distracted by seeing the same object in a different color later, people with aphantasia were not affected by this type of interference.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that mental imagery—the ability to "see" a picture in your head—is not actually required for high-precision visual memory. People with aphantasia likely use different, non-visual strategies to store and retrieve detailed information. While the study shows that aphantasics are just as capable in these tasks, it also highlights that they may have a "cleaner" memory process that is less susceptible to being cluttered by unwanted mental images.

One Interesting Detail

Even though they couldn't "see" the colors in their minds, participants with aphantasia were just as good at detecting very subtle differences in shades as those who could visualize them perfectly.

Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision

Abstract

Authors

Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision

Abstract

Authors

Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision

Abstract

Authors

Visual imagery vividness appears to be independent of perceptual and memory precision

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

Joel Pearson

Merlin Monzel

Adam Zeman

Rebecca Keogh

Martin Reuter

Juha Silvanto

Paolo Bartolomeo

Carla Dance

Jianghao Liu

Fraser Milton