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

DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/ahtsd
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 being able to "see" things in your head helps you remember visual details more accurately. They tested whether people with aphantasia—the inability to create mental imagery (pictures in the mind)—are worse at remembering specific colors than people with super-vivid mental images.

How They Studied It

The team at the University of Iceland worked with 57 volunteers. This group included 9 people with aphantasia and 19 with hyperphantasia (mental imagery as clear as real life).
Participants looked at colored objects on a screen. Later, they had to pick the exact shade of that object from a color wheel. They did this in three ways:
  • Perception: Matching the color while looking at the object.
  • Working Memory: Matching the color a few seconds after it disappeared.
  • Long-Term Memory: Matching the color much later in the experiment.

What They Found

Surprisingly, having a vivid "mind's eye" didn't give anyone an edge! People who couldn't picture anything at all were just as precise at picking the right colors as those with "HD" mental images.
The researchers discovered that almost everyone—regardless of their imagery strength—used a "cheat code" called verbal strategies. Instead of just "seeing" the color in their head, they would give it a name (like "bright teal") to help them remember it later.

What This Might Mean

This suggests that our brains have multiple ways to store information. Even if you can't "see" a memory, your brain might be storing it like a descriptive list rather than a photograph.
However, we have to be careful with these results. This was a relatively small study, and because it used a color wheel, it might have been easier for people to use words to describe the colors. This research *suggests* that imagery and memory precision are separate, but it doesn't *prove* that imagery never helps in other types of tasks, like drawing from memory.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found that people with aphantasia were actually *less* likely to use verbal strategies in long-term memory tasks than people with vivid imagery, yet they still performed just as well! This hints that there are even more "hidden" ways the brain stores data that we don't fully understand yet.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.