What is the Link Between Mental Imagery and Sensory Sensitivity? Insights from Aphantasia. (September 2021)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- What is the Link Between Mental Imagery and Sensory Sensitivity? Insights from Aphantasia. (September 2021)
- Main Title:
- What is the Link Between Mental Imagery and Sensory Sensitivity? Insights from Aphantasia
- Authors:
- Dance, C. J.
Ward, J.
Simner, J. - Abstract:
- People with aphantasia have impoverished visual imagery so struggle to form mental pictures in the mind's eye. By testing people with and without aphantasia, we investigate the relationship between sensory imagery and sensory sensitivity (i.e., hyper- or hypo-reactivity to incoming signals through the sense organs). In Experiment 1 we first show that people with aphantasia report impaired imagery across multiple domains (e.g., olfactory, gustatory etc.) rather than simply vision. Importantly, we also show that imagery is related to sensory sensitivity: aphantasics reported not only lower imagery, but also lower sensory sensitivity. In Experiment 2, we showed a similar relationship between imagery and sensitivity in the general population. Finally, in Experiment 3 we found behavioural corroboration in a Pattern Glare Task, in which aphantasics experienced less visual discomfort and fewer visual distortions typically associated with sensory sensitivity. Our results suggest for the very first time that sensory imagery and sensory sensitivity are related, and that aphantasics are characterised by both lower imagery, and lower sensitivity. Our results also suggest that aphantasia (absence of visual imagery) may be more accurately defined as a subtype of a broader imagery deficit we name dysikonesia, in which weak or absent imagery occurs across multiple senses.
- Is Part Of:
- Perception. Volume 50:Number 9(2021)
- Journal:
- Perception
- Issue:
- Volume 50:Number 9(2021)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 50, Issue 9 (2021)
- Year:
- 2021
- Volume:
- 50
- Issue:
- 9
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2021-0050-0009-0000
- Page Start:
- 757
- Page End:
- 782
- Publication Date:
- 2021-09
- Subjects:
- aphantasia -- imagery -- sensitivity -- pattern glare task -- dysikonesia -- autism traits
Perception -- Periodicals
Perception -- Periodicals
Perception
Periodicals
153.705 - Journal URLs:
- http://pec.sagepub.com/ ↗
http://www.pion.co.uk/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1177/03010066211042186 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0301-0066
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 17083.xml