Exploring the vividness of mental imagery and eidetic imagery in people with intellectual disability (ID) in comparison with typically developing (TD) individuals

Abstract

Background: Mental imagery (MI) has been described as the "ability to simulate in the mind information that is not currently being perceived by the sense organs" (Moran, 2012, p. 166). The vividness of mental imagery has been defined as the clarity, brightness, or intensity of an image as reported by the individual (Marks, 1973). There are many studies conducted on vividness in typically developing (TD) individuals, however, no attempt has been made either to assess the vividness of mental imagery in people with intellectual disability (ID) or compare it with that of typically developing (TD) adults. Metods: A vividness of imagery test (comprising a modified version of the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire 2, (VVIQ-2; Marks, 1995), and two items of the Age Projection Test, (APT; Ahsen, 1988) were administered to participants with mild, moderate, and severe ID. Their performance on the vividness scale was compared with typically developing individuals. Measures for cognitive and adaptive functioning were administered to ascertain the ID level of participants. Results: The results of this study reveal a non-significant group difference between people with mild ID, moderate ID, and TD on the vividness of mental imagery and eidetic imagery. People with severe ID performed significantly lower than the other three groups. Conclusion: Despite their cognitive impairment, a non-significant difference between the performance of people with mild and moderate ID and typically developing individuals on imagery vividness scale is noteworthy. What this paper addsThis is an empirical study conducted to investigate the ability of people with intellectual disability (ID) to experience the vividness of mental imagery (MI) and eidetic imagery (EI) in comparison with typically developing (TD) individuals. The results of this study indicated the potential of people with mild and moderate ID to experience the vividness of MI and EI, despite the cognitive impairment, without any significant difference from TD individuals. The findings of this study raise a question about the suggested role of cognition in experiencing the vividness of MI and EI.

Visual imagery skills and risk attitude

“…The main limitation of our study is that the sample is not large enough for comparisons across subgroups, or for investigation of the risk behavior of individuals with aphantasia (those with no mind’s eye) or with hyperphantasia (whose mental images are as vivid as actual visual perception). While aphantasia has been associated with impaired imagery across multiple sensory domains (including auditory, olfactory and gustatory imagination) 35 , 36 , and with intellectual disability 37 , we are not aware of a study that relates it to choice behavior. Such an investigation would require a more targeted participant recruitment 38 .…”

Phenomenological Studies of Visual Mental Imagery: A Review and Synthesis of Historical Datasets

“…Another recent study [50] found no significant differences in VMI vividness or eidetic imagery ability in people with intellectual disability compared to typically developing individuals. (i) People with ID experience and engage with mental imagery across different sensory modalities; (ii) The clarity, detail and richness of the images is notable.…”

“…Another recent study [ 50 ] found no significant differences in VMI vividness or eidetic imagery ability in people with intellectual disability compared to typically developing individuals.…”

Mental Imagery in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Parental Psychological Control

“…The vividness of mental imagery refers to the clarity, brightness, or intensity of an image as reported by the individual [ 36 ]. Previous studies have shown that the higher levels of vividness in negative mental imagery are associated with greater distress [ 35 , 37 ].…”