When you close your eyes and picture a beach, how clearly do you see it? That is called visual imagery. Can you also "hear" the waves in your mind? That’s called auditory imagery—and it turns out, how you describe your mental imagery may say more about your personality than you think.
A group of researchers from UK universities (Salford, Keele, Northumbria, and De Montfort) set out to explore a surprising question: Do people exaggerate or hide their mental imagery abilities to make themselves look better or to seem more socially acceptable? And if so, how does that work?
What is Mental Imagery?
Mental imagery is basically what happens when you visualize or hear something in your mind without actually seeing or hearing it in real life. Think of imagining your favorite song or a sunset. There are self-report questionnaires (like surveys) that ask people to rate how vivid and clear their mental images are. These are widely used in psychology.
Since mental imagery can be difficult to describe accurately, it raises an interesting question: do people tend to overestimate or exaggerate their abilities to look better on surveys?
What is "Social Desirable Responding"?
This is a fancy term for when people answer surveys in a way that makes them look good rather than being fully honest. For example, someone with a moralistic bias might answer questions about their mental imagery in a way that makes them sound humble or virtuous, perhaps under-reporting their ability to imagine clearly. Someone with an egoistic bias might exaggerate their ability to experience inner sound, for example, in order to sound more competent.
Researchers divide this into two types:
Egoistic Bias: This is the tendency to answer in ways that make us appear more intelligent, capable, or talented. For instance, someone might exaggerate how clearly they can visualize something, because they think that being able to vividly imagine things makes them seem smarter or more creative.
Moralistic Bias: This refers to the tendency to respond in ways that make us look virtuous or ethically good. For example, someone might downplay flaws or weaknesses in their mental imagery abilities to seem more competent or morally upright, even if they are not necessarily being fully honest about their true experiences.
What Did the Study Look At?
The researchers conducted three studies to explore if people’s answers on mental imagery questionnaires were influenced by a desire to look good, especially in terms of ego (looking smart or capable).
They examined:
Visual imagery: How clearly people visualize things.
Auditory imagery: How clearly people hear things in their head.
Thinking style: Whether people naturally think in pictures.
They also used a questionnaire called the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR) to measure whether people were trying to present themselves in a flattering way.
What Did They Find?
People who reported having strong visual imagery often scored higher on egoistic social desirability. In other words, people who said they could imagine things very clearly also tended to answer surveys in a way that made them look smarter or more capable.
The link was weaker for auditory imagery (hearing things in your head), and somewhere in the middle for visual thinking style.
This suggests that how valued a skill is (like seeing clear images in your mind) might influence how much people exaggerate it.
Why Does This Matter?
The researchers' findings highlight a key issue: if people are overestimating their mental imagery abilities to appear more capable, it could impact the reliability of self-report surveys widely used in psychology. While respondents might genuinely believe their answers, they could still be influenced by a subconscious desire to present themselves in a more flattering light.
This matters because it challenges the accuracy of self-reported data, especially when people are asked to evaluate their mental imagery skills. If people exaggerate their abilities, it can skew our understanding of how mental imagery functions and complicates the interpretation of research findings.
A Fuller Picture of Mental Imagery
Mental imagery is far broader than just "visual" and "auditory." In fact, it spans numerous modalities and vividness ranges, the MIR recognises the following modalities, that can span from aphantasia (absent imagery) to hyperphantasia (vivid imagery).
Core Sensory-Based Imagery:
Visual Imagery: Mental representation of shapes, colors, or scenes.
Auditory Imagery: Mental representation of sounds, music, or speech.
Gustatory Imagery: Mental representation of tastes and flavors.
Olfactory Imagery: Mental representation of smells.
Tactile Imagery: Mental representation of touch, texture, or sensations.
Beyond these core sensory modalities, mental imagery also spans more abstract cognitive experiences, including the mental representation of emotions, music, subconscious patterns, movement and space.
Intelligence-Linked Imagery:
Intraphonic Imagery: Mental representation of voice and language patterns.
Numerical Imagery: Mental representation of numbers, patterns, or abstractions.
Musical Imagery: Mental representation of rhythm, melody, and sound.
Motor Imagery: Mental representation of physical movement.
Spatial Imagery: Mental representation of spatial relationships and placements.
Emotional Imagery: Mental representation of emotions or feelings.
Introspective Imagery: Mental representation of self-awareness and reflection.
Intuitive Imagery: Mental representation of subconscious patterns or insights.
While sensory-based forms of imagery are the most commonly discussed, with some discussion around intelligence-based forms of mental imagery, our minds also engage in a variety of other cognitive and sensory experiences. These include the representation of time, abstract concepts, and even bodily sensations that don’t necessarily fall into the traditional senses. These types of imagery can be just as vivid and influential in shaping our thoughts, memories, and perceptions. Let's explore some of these other intriguing forms of mental imagery.
Other Cognitive and Sensory Imagery:
Dream Imagery: Mental representation of unconscious mind and sleep experiences.
Electromagnetic Imagery: Mental representation of electrical or magnetic phenomena.
Visceral Imagery: Mental representation of internal bodily sensations (e.g., hunger or thirst).
Somatic Imagery: Mental representation of pain, pressure, or discomfort.
Temporal Imagery: Mental representation of sequences or the passage of time.
Thermal Imagery: Mental representation of temperature sensations (e.g., warmth or coldness).
Vestibular Imagery: Mental representation of balance, motion, and spatial orientation.
The Complexity and Interconnectedness of Imagery
Mental imagery is not just compartmentalized into isolated categories; it’s interconnected across sensory experiences. For instance, when imagining a beach, it’s not just about seeing the waves—one might also hear the crashing sound of the water, feel the warmth of the sun, and smell the salt in the air. These overlapping sensory experiences make it difficult to neatly categorize imagery as purely "visual" or "auditory," as mental experiences often combine multiple modalities at once.
The Bottom Line
When we talk about mental imagery, we might be doing more than just sharing what we experience; we could be subtly shaping how others perceive us. Whether consciously or unconsciously, we might exaggerate our mental abilities to seem more competent.
Next time you try to imagine a place or a moment, pay attention—are you mixing sights, sounds, and feelings? How do your answers compare when you're asked to rate your mental imagery? You might find that your answers reveal more about you than you think.
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