I have a question for fic writers about fanfic and mental imagery for research purposes. My psych class is talking about Francis Galton right now and we're doing experiments with mental imagery, and I brought up aphantasia in the discussion because my brother has it and I don't: I see things vividly, in my mind's eye and he doesn't. I was also talking to a friend about it and we realized that she can only sometimes visualize things.
Another thing about my friend and I is that I'm a fic writer and she isn't. I've also met a lot of people who both dislike or feel they can't write and struggle visualizing things, but are great artists, and vice versa. My friend hates drawing poses because she can't visualize them. I hate drawing poses because my skill level doesn't reflect what I visualize, and it frustrates me.
So, using this chart, how well can you picture an apple --or any other object-- in your mind and do you write fanfiction? Not including your skill level, online presence, or online interaction. A fic writer is anyone who is or has written some form of engagement with existing media, regardless of posting status.
My hypothesis is that a wide range of fic writers can write with anything from perfectly realistic mental images to no mental image, but more writers have an easier time visualizing objects, based on my experience and the experiences of others that I have heard.
Fic writers/Aphantasia test
Fic writer, I see number 1 (perfect realism)
Non fic writer, I see number 1 (perfect realism)
Fic writer, I see number 2 (reasonably vivid)
Non fic writer, I see number 2 (reasonably vivid)
Fic writer, I see number 3 (moderately realistic)
Non fic writer, I see number 3 (moderately realistic)
Fic writer, I see number 4 (dim and vague)
Non fic writer, I see number 4 (dim and vague)
Fic writer, I see number 5 (no image)
Non fic writer, I see number 5 (no image)
See results
