Do you have a good imagination? When you picture something, how clear is it? Take the “vividness of visual imagery” test below, then, using the following scale, ask yourself if the image was: (1) not there at all; (2) very vague; (3) moderately clear and vivid; (4) clear and vivid; or (5) as clear and vivid as real life.
Think of a friend or relative you see often. How clearly can you picture: (a) their face and body; (b) how they hold their head and body; (c) how they walk; and (d) the colours of clothes they often wear?
Now think of a shop you often go to. How clearly can you picture: (a) the shop from across the road; (b) the window display; (c) the entrance and door; and (d) buying something, paying in cash?
Take your average to find your overall score: 1-2 = poor; 3 = average; 4-5 = very good.
A study conducted in the 1970s by David Marks demonstrated that “very good” visualisers were able to correctly recall significantly more details of a display they had just been shown than were “poor visualisers”. Indeed, extreme “aphantasia” – the complete lack of any mental images – can have profound effects, as it renders people unable to recall past events in the “first person” or to imagine themselves in different possible futures.
A fully referenced version of this article is at benambridge.com. Order Are You Smarter Than a Chimpanzee? by Ben Ambridge for £11.04 at bookshop.theguardian.com
