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The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population

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Dance, C.J., Ipser, A., Simner, J.·2022·Consciousness and Cognition

DOI 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103243

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Abstract

Visual mental imagery is the ability to create a quasi-perceptual visual picture in the mind's eye. For people with the rare trait of aphantasia, this ability is entirely absent or markedly impaired. Here, we aim to clarify the prevalence of aphantasia in the general population, while overcoming limitations of previous research (e.g., recruitment biases). In Experiment 1, we screened a cohort of undergraduate students (n502) using the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (Marks, 1973) and found that 4.2% had aphantasia. To establish the reliability of our estimate, we then screened a new sample of people (n502) at an online crowdsourcing marketplace, again finding that approximately four percent (3.6%) had aphantasia. Overall, our combined prevalence from over a thousand people of 3.9% - which shows no gender bias - provides a useful index for how commonly aphantasia occurs, based on measures and diagnostic thresholds in line with contemporary aphantasia literature.

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Authors: Dance, C. J., Ipser, A., & Simner, J.
Affiliations: University of Sussex (GB)
Corresponding author: Dance, C.J.
ORCID: Dance, C.J.
Simner, J.
Venue: Consciousness and Cognition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2022-01
Volume: 97
Pages: 103243
ISSN: 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103243
OpenAlex: W4200352128
Cited by: 167
References: 60
Citations by year: 2026: 45 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 37 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 10
FWCI: 10.13
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
sro.sussex.ac.uk
Licence: cc-by-nc-nd
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
Locations: Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Sussex Research Online (University of Sussex) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders: Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007–2013)
European Research Council (617678)
Leverhulme Trust
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Philosophy › Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Keywords: aphantasia, visual imagery, prevalence, Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire, undergraduate students, crowdsourcing, gender differences, recruitment bias, general population
MeSH terms: Humans, Imagination, Surveys and Questionnaires, Visual Perception, Reproducibility of Results, Prevalence, Imagery, Psychotherapy

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The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population

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