Do eidetikers have higher visuo-spatial memory abilities?

Abstract

Eidetic imagery is a kind of mental visual imagery that is externally localized and literally “seen” by the eidetiker. Previous studies have not clarified whether eidetikers have enhanced visuo-spatial memory abilities. This study compared visuo-spatial short-term memory capacities between eidetikers and non-eidetikers who were matched in terms of age, gender, and visual imagery ability. We measured the memory capacity of nine eidetikers and 18 non-eidetikers in two memory tasks (Visual Pattern Test and Corsi Block Test) that differed in the mode of presentation of visual stimuli (simultaneous and sequential, respectively). Eidetikers performed better than non-eidetikers on simultaneous tasks but performed similarly to non-eidetikers on sequential tasks. This study suggests that eidetikers are better at retaining stimuli presented simultaneously.