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Cited by 198Visual perception and processing mechanismsMemory Processes and InfluencesFace Recognition and Perception

Visual working memory performance in aphantasia

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Jacobs, Christianne, Schwarzkopf, Dietrich S., Silvanto, Juha·2018·Cortex
DOI 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.10.014
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Abstract

Aphantasia, i.e., the congenital inability to experience voluntary mental imagery, offers a new model for studying the functional role of mental imagery in (visual) cognition. However, until now, there have been no studies investigating whether aphantasia can be linked to specific impairments in cognitive functioning. Here, we assess visual working memory performance in an aphantasic individual. We find that she performs significantly worse than controls on the most difficult (i.e., requiring the highest degree of precision) visual working memory trials. Surprisingly, her performance on a task designed to involve mental imagery did not differ from controls', although she lacked metacognitive insight into her performance. Together, these results indicate that although a lack of mental imagery can be compensated for under some conditions, mental imagery has a functional role in other areas of visual cognition, one of which is high-precision working memory.

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  • On standard experimental measures of memory, people with aphantasia perform normally or show at most mild to moderate impairment.

    “On a range of standard experimental measures of memory (short- and long-term, verbal and visual), people with aphantasia perform normally or show, at most, mild to moderate impairment”

    From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [48]

    The Results (§3.3–3.4; page unavailable) report generally unimpaired working memory in one aphantasic individual, alongside worse performance on the most difficult visual working-memory trials. The paper includes verbal and visual working-memory measures, but it does not test long-term memory or establish this pattern for people with aphantasia generally. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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References 37 · Cited by 198

Research works printed but not linked: 23

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Authors
Jacobs, C., Schwarzkopf, D. S., & Silvanto, J.
Affiliations
  • University of Westminster (GB)
  • University of Auckland (NZ)
Corresponding author
Jacobs, Christianne
ORCID
Venue
Cortex
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-08
Volume
105
Pages
61-73
ISSN
0010-9452 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.cortex.2017.10.014
OpenAlex
W2767496342
Cited by
198
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 34 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 2
FWCI
3.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Libraries (Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), l'Université de Namur (UNamur) and the Université Saint-Louis (USL-B)) (submittedVersion)
  • ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • European Research Council (310829, 336152)
  • Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Keywords
aphantasia, mental imagery, visual working memory, metacognition, visual cognition, cognitive compensation
MeSH terms
Adult, Cognition, Epilepsy, Female, Humans, Imagination, Memory, Short-Term, Problem Solving, Task Performance and Analysis, Visual Perception, Imagery, Psychotherapy

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