The phenomenology of mental imagery in people with intellectual disabilities

Hewitt, Olivia; Langdon, Peter E.; Hales, Susie; Larkin, Michael

doi:10.1111/papt.12424

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 37 publications

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“…Another new dataset has been provided by Hewitt et al [ 47 ], who used participant-created drawings and semi-structured interviews to study the phenomenology of mental imagery in an ID group. The participants were ten people, two men and eight women aged from 25 to 54 (mean age = 52.3 years), who were assessed as having mild-to-moderate intellectual disabilities.…”

Section: Recent Period (2000–2023)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Marks

2023

Vision

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This article reviews historically significant phenomenological studies of visual mental imagery (VMI), starting with Fechner in 1860 and continuing to the present. This synthesis of diverse VMI phenomenological studies in healthy adults serves as a unique resource for investigators of individual differences, cognitive development and clinical and neurological conditions. The review focuses on two kinds of VMI, “memory imagery” and “eidetic imagery”. Ten primary studies are drawn from three periods of the scholarly literature: early (1860–1929), middle (1930–1999) and recent (2000–2023). It is concluded that memory and eidetic imagery are two forms of constructive imagery, varying along a continuum of intensity or vividness. Vividness is a combination of clarity, colourfulness and liveliness, where clarity is defined by brightness and sharpness, colourfulness by image saturation and liveliness by vivacity, animation, feeling, solidity, projection and metamorphosis. The findings are integrated in a template that specifies, as a tree-like structure, the 16 properties of VMI vividness in healthy adult humans. The template takes into account the weight of evidence drawn from the accounts and reveals an extraordinary degree of consistency in reported VMI characteristics, revealed by specialized studies of healthy adult humans across time, space and culture.

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Section: Recent Period (2000–2023)mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Marks

2023

Vision

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‘Flashforward’ mental imagery in adolescents: exploring developmental differences and associations with mental health

Lau-Zhu,

Stacey,

Gibson

et al. 2024

Behav. Cogn. Psychother.

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Background: Future events can spring to mind unbidden in the form of involuntary mental images also known as ‘flashforwards’, which are deemed important for understanding and treating emotional distress. However, there has been little exploration of this form of imagery in youth, and even less so in those with high psychopathology vulnerabilities (e.g. due to developmental differences associated with neurodiversity or maltreatment). Aims: We aimed to test whether flashforwards are heightened (e.g. more frequent and emotional) in autistic and maltreatment-exposed adolescents relative to typically developing adolescents. We also explored their associations with anxiety/depression symptoms. Method: A survey including measures of flashforward imagery and mental health was completed by a group of adolescents (n=87) aged 10–16 (and one of their caregivers) who met one of the following criteria: (i) had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; (ii) a history of maltreatment; or (ii) no autism/maltreatment. Results: Flashforwards (i) were often of positive events and related to career, education and/or learning; with phenomenological properties (e.g. frequency and emotionality) that were (ii) not significantly different between groups; but nevertheless (iii) associated with symptoms of anxiety across groups (particularly for imagery emotionality), even after accounting for general trait (non-future) imagery vividness. Conclusions: As a modifiable cognitive risk factor, flashforward imagery warrants further consideration for understanding and improving mental health in young people. This implication may extend to range of developmental backgrounds, including autism and maltreatment.

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The phenomenology of mental imagery in people with intellectual disabilities

et al. 2022

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Objectives: Mental imagery is important in the development and maintenance of psychological disorders and wellbeing but has been neglected in people with intellectual disabilities. A detailed idiographic analysis of the lived experience of mental imagery in this population is presented. Design: This qualitative study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). It involved inclusive research methods with people with intellectual disabilities and other stakeholders (including family members, advocates, support workers and intellectual disability service managers). Methods: Ten individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with people with mild-moderate intellectual disabilities. Participants were opportunistically sampled through organisations providing community services to people with intellectual disabilities in the UK. Two men and eight women (mean age 43 years) participated. Interviews were audio-recorded and analysed using IPA. Results: People with intellectual disabilities are able to experience a range of rich and detailed mental images across all sensory modalities. Participants reported changes in affect based on mental imagery, and an ability to experience both spontaneous and deliberate mental images. The emotional saliency of the object of mental imagery appeared to influence participants' ability to engage with imagery. A number This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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The phenomenology of mental imagery in people with intellectual disabilities

Cited by 3 publications

References 37 publications

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

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

‘Flashforward’ mental imagery in adolescents: exploring developmental differences and associations with mental health

The phenomenology of mental imagery in people with intellectual disabilities

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