Key evidence an nummers
| Classification in the study | Estimate | Scorin convention uised |
|---|---|---|
| Range wi wee imagery | 3.9% | VVIQ total 16–32 |
| Reportit total lack | 0.8% | VVIQ total 16 |
| Dim or indistinct imagery within the low range | 3.1% | VVIQ total 17–32 |
The paper combines twa samples o 502 pairticipants. It identifies 39 fowk in the wider range wi wee imagery, includin echt at the minimum total. This distinction matters acause a wide definition o wee imagery gies a different prevalence fae needin a total lack. The questionnaire version here uises lower totals for weaker imagery. Dance et al., 2022
Whit dis the questionnaire measure?
The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire speirs aboot subjective visual experience. Marks' original wirk brocht in the measure; later aphantasia studies uise it wi explicit scorin conventions. Reversin a response scale chynges whit a total means, sae a cut-off sud niver be copied athoot checkin the version. MARKS, 1973 Dance et al., 2022
Self-report tells us aboot experience, but it's no the same as a sensory-performance task or a direct brain measurement. Keogh an Pearson uised a binocular-rivalry method tae investigate sensory imagery, showin hou researchers can speir a related question wi anither method. Ane measure disnae automatically tak the place o anither. Keogh et al., 2018
Dis aphantasia mean havin nae imagination?
Nae sic broad conclusion follaes. The research is aboot particular imagery experiences, especially willfu visual imagery. Zeman an his colleagues' reports, alang wi the wider review o imagery, distinguish extremes o vividness fae aw thinkin, creativity or ken. A body can unnerstaun an reason aboot a scene athoot reportin a vivid inner picture. Zeman et al., 2015 Zeman et al., 2020 Pearson, 2019
Whit affects it?
Whit aboot memory an dreams?
Dawes an colleagues describe self-reportit profiles o imagery, memory an dreamin in fowk that identify wi aphantasia. Thir are group patterns wi muckle variation, no rules that ilka body has the same dream experience or difficulty wi memory. The way it's measured an hou fowk are recruitit remain pairt o the interpretation. Dawes et al., 2020
Bainbridge an colleagues' drawin study foond a difference atween object an spatial memory performance. It disnae back the claim that fowk athoot visual imagery hae nae visual memory or cannae represent spatial relationships. Different pairts o memory need tae be assessed separately. Bainbridge et al., 2021
Dae age an sex define the prevalence?
In the pooled prevalence paper, estimates for women an men didnae differ statistically wi the definitions they examined. That disnae prove perfect equality in ilka population. The samples, their ages an the cut-off chynges hou far ye can generalise; an online community devoted tae imagery wad hae a different recruitment process. Dance et al., 2022
Whit can ye realistically learn fae an online test?
A questionnaire can help describe the imagery ye report an mak clear the words uised for it. It sudnae turn a low score intae a medical diagnosis or a claim aboot intelligence. The prevalence study's categories are research definitions for measurement, no a universal rule for ilka web questionnaire. Dance et al., 2022 MARKS, 1973
Thir sources dinnae establish ony training plan that guarantees vivid imagery will be creatit in somebody that disnae report it. The realistic use is tae unnerstaun variation an the limits o the measurement, no tae promise a cure or improvement. Pearson, 2019 Zeman et al., 2020
The 3.9% an 0.8% figures are useful juist when the definition gangs alang wi them. Tak awa that definition an twa different questions seem tae hae ae contradictory answer. Dance et al., 2022
Gie the related free test a try
Aphantasia test
Try the aphantasia questionnaire tae explore hou ye describe willfu visual imagery. Read the scale direction an keep the result as a self-report. The published percentages dinnae establish yer diagnosis or a Helibrain population percentile.
Common questions
Is the prevalence 0.8% or 3.9%?
Baith come fae the same pooled study but uise different definitions: total reported lack versus the wider range wi wee imagery. Dance et al., 2022
Dis aphantasia mean nae dreams?
Nae universal rule follaes. The study o cognitive profiles reports variation in imagery an dreamin experiences. Dawes et al., 2020
Dis weak imagery mean weak spatial memory?
No necessarily. The drawin study distinguishes object memory fae spatial memory, insteid o treatin aw memory as ae ability. Bainbridge et al., 2021
Sources
- Dance et al. (2022). The prevalence of aphantasia (imagery weakness) in the general population.
- MARKS (1973). VISUAL IMAGERY DIFFERENCES IN THE RECALL OF PICTURES.
- Keogh et al. (2018). The blind mind: No sensory visual imagery in aphantasia.
- Zeman et al. (2015). Lives without imagery – Congenital aphantasia.
- Zeman et al. (2020). Phantasia–The psychological significance of lifelong visual imagery vividness extremes.
- Pearson (2019). The human imagination: the cognitive neuroscience of visual mental imagery.
- Dawes et al. (2020). A cognitive profile of multi-sensory imagery, memory and dreaming in aphantasia.
- Bainbridge et al. (2021). Quantifying aphantasia through drawing: Those without visual imagery show deficits in object but not spatial memory.
Cite this page: Hou common is aphantasia?. Helibrain. 2026. https://helibrain.com/sco/answers/how-common-is-aphantasia. CC BY 4.0.
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