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Where’s Wanda? The influence of visual imagery vividness on visual search speed measured by means of hidden object pictures

DOI: 10.3758/s13414-022-02645-6
Monzel, M., & Reuter, M. (2024). Where’s wanda? the influence of visual imagery vividness on visual search speed measured by means of hidden object pictures. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 86(1), 22–27. doi:10.3758/s13414-022-02645-6

Abstract

Previous research demonstrated effects of visual imagery on search speed in visual search paradigms. However, these effects were rather small, questioning their ecological validity. Thus, our present study aimed to generalize these effects to more naturalistic material (i.e., a paradigm that allows for top-down strategies in highly complex visual search displays that include overlapping stimuli while simultaneously avoiding possibly confounding search instructions). One hundred and four participants with aphantasia (= absence of voluntary mental imagery) and 104 gender and age-matched controls were asked to find hidden objects in several hidden object pictures with search times recorded. Results showed that people with aphantasia were significantly slower than controls, even when controlling for age and general processing speed. Thus, effects of visual imagery might be strong enough to influence the perception of our real-life surroundings, probably because of the involvement of visual imagery in several top-down strategies.

Authors

  • Merlin Monzel30
  • Martin Reuter16

What This Study Is About

Researchers wanted to know if having a "mind’s eye" helps you find things faster in the real world. They used "Where’s Waldo" style puzzles to see if people with aphantasia—the inability to visualize or "picture" things in their mind—search differently than people with typical mental imagery.

How They Studied It

The team recruited 208 participants: 104 with aphantasia and 104 "controls" (people with a typical mind’s eye).
Participants looked at complex, crowded "hidden object" illustrations. Before each puzzle, they were shown a target (like a specific toy or person). Then, they had to find that target in a busy scene as quickly as possible. To make sure the results were fair, the researchers also gave everyone a quick test to measure their general thinking speed.

What They Found

The results were clear: people with aphantasia were significantly slower at finding the hidden objects. On average, it took them about 1.5 seconds longer per puzzle than the control group.
This wasn't because they were slower thinkers in general. Even when the researchers accounted for age and general processing speed, the lack of mental imagery was the main reason for the delay. It’s as if the control group could keep a "wanted poster" of the object visible in their mind to compare against the crowd, while people with aphantasia had to rely on different, slightly slower strategies.

What This Might Mean

This study suggests that mental imagery isn't just for daydreaming—it’s a practical tool our brains use to navigate the world. It helps "prime" our vision, making it easier to spot what we’re looking for in a mess.
However, we should be careful: this was an online study using 2D drawings. While it *suggests* that aphantasia affects how we perceive our surroundings, we can't prove yet exactly how this translates to 3D real-life tasks, like finding your keys in a messy bedroom.

One Interesting Detail

The researchers found that the "vividness" of a person's mental imagery acted like a speed dial: the clearer and brighter a person could picture the object in their head, the faster they were able to find it in the crowd!
This summary was generated by AI and may contain errors. Always refer to the original paper for accuracy.