A groundbreaking new study spearheaded by researchers at Durham University promises to reshape our understanding of imagination and its intricate relationship with mental health. The project, known as ReaderBank, has developed an innovative tool called the ReaderBank Imagination Quiz (RIQ), designed to explore the vast and diverse ways individuals engage with imaginative processes when reading. This pioneering effort moves beyond traditional approaches by dissecting imagination into four distinct “forces” — space and vision, voice and language, people models, and perspective — each offering unique insights into how mental imagery and narrative immersion manifest differently across individuals.
The complexities of human imagination have long fascinated psychologists and neuroscientists alike, but the ReaderBank project abandons one-size-fits-all conceptions of imagination in favor of recognizing its radical diversity. By analyzing the nuances in how readers visualize scenes, hear inner voices, conceive characters, and adopt perspectives, the study highlights that imagination is a multifaceted phenomenon grounded in both cognitive and emotional dimensions. Such a framework not only opens new windows into literary engagement but also has profound implications for understanding neural and psychological processes involved in imagination-centric mental health conditions.
Published ahead of its presentation at the 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival, the ReaderBank Imagination Quiz’s findings emerge from surveys conducted with 867 participants, drawn primarily from attendees of the festival in consecutive years. Criteria for participation included adults who had read a work of fiction within the previous six months and possessed fluency in English. The methodical survey probed participants on a range of reading behaviors—frequency, medium preference, and genre—paired with detailed questions about their imaginative experiences, such as how vividly they visualized characters’ faces or how strongly they experienced internal dialogues or sensory feelings related to textual content.
What distinguishes the ReaderBank approach is its focus on mental imagery as a multidimensional construct rather than a singular cognitive event. The four forces identified by researchers correspond to specific cognitive patterns: “space and vision” relates to how readers create vivid mental maps and landscapes; “voice and language” reflects the internal soundscapes of reading, including inner speech; “people models” encompass the mental representation and simulation of characters; and “perspective” involves the capacity to adopt varying viewpoints within a narrative. Together, these forces form a complex architecture underlying how stories are mentally constructed and experienced.
The significance of this work transcends literary theory; it reaches into the domain of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Lead author Professor Ben Alderson-Day emphasizes the pivotal role these imaginative modalities can play in mental health practice, noting that conditions such as intrusive thoughts, hallucinations, and maladaptive rumination bear direct connections to the cognitive dynamics explored by the RIQ. Current therapeutic models often harness imaginative techniques, yet seldom are patients assessed for their unique imaginative profiles, an oversight that may limit treatment efficacy. By providing a tool for precisely mapping individual differences in imagination, ReaderBank lays the groundwork for tailoring mental health interventions with greater specificity.
Moreover, the study’s emphasis on psychometric rigor and integrative analysis impressively bridges humanities and medical sciences. Funded by the Wellcome Trust and supported by Durham’s Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities, the research incorporates interdisciplinary expertise ranging from psychology and medical humanities to English literary studies and neuropsychology. Such a collaborative framework ensures that the quiz is not grounded merely in subjective self-reporting but is responsive to nuanced cognitive constructs validated across scientific disciplines.
The early findings affirm a striking heterogeneity in imagination skills among readers, challenging long-standing assumptions that imaginative engagement occurs in uniform ways. Some individuals heavily lean on vivid spatial visualization, constructing elaborate mental scenes, while others experience imagination predominantly through internal dialogues or emotional resonance with characters. This multidimensional variation aligns with recent cognitive neuroscience research that reveals distinct neural pathways and brain networks supporting different facets of imagination, such as the default mode network’s role in perspective-taking and mental simulation.
ReaderBank’s strategic use of literary festivals as research sites is particularly innovative, leveraging the enthusiasm and diversity of readers gathered in such settings to gather expansive and ecologically valid data. The project’s continuation, with an upcoming focus on the theme of “Repair,” indicates a longitudinal commitment to unpacking how imaginative variation interacts with psychological resilience and recovery processes. This ongoing research promises to inform not only mental health therapies but also educational and cultural interventions aimed at fostering cognitive flexibility and emotional wellbeing through reading.
Experts in clinical mental health have lauded the project for illuminating how imagination and creativity can reshape cognitive schemas—mental frameworks through which individuals interpret experiences. Dr. Wajid Khan, Head of Research at the Southwest Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, underscores the potential of ReaderBank’s findings to enhance recovery and resilience strategies by tailoring them to patients’ imaginative capacities. The ability to cultivate or recalibrate imaginative faculties within therapy may unlock new mechanisms for change in entrenched psychological conditions.
The ReaderBank Imagination Quiz also paves the way for future explorations into the neuropsychological underpinnings of imagination. By dissecting imagination into discrete components, researchers can better target brain imaging studies and neuropathological investigations to specific cognitive phenomena. This could lead to improved diagnostics and personalized interventions for disorders where imagination dysregulation is central, such as schizophrenia, PTSD, and depression. Furthermore, the methodology exemplifies how humanities research can be leveraged to address pressing questions in cognitive science and mental health, serving as a model for similarly cross-disciplinary initiatives.
Finally, the project emphasizes the broader cultural importance of reading and storytelling not simply as leisure activities but as essential exercises of the mind that bear on mental wellness. By illuminating the diverse ways readers mentally engage with texts, ReaderBank fosters a deeper appreciation for the cognitive artistry involved in reading and its potential role in shaping mental health trajectories. As Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, notes, the collaboration between academic researchers and literary communities enriches both scientific inquiry and public understanding, promising exciting developments in the science of imagination and mental health.
In sum, the ReaderBank Imagination Quiz represents a seminal advancement in the scientific exploration of imagination, bridging cognitive psychology, neuroscience, literary studies, and clinical practice. Its radical elucidation of imaginative diversity offers a pathway toward more personalized mental health therapies that recognize and harness individual cognitive profiles. While still in its early stages, this research thrust heralds a new era whereby the seemingly abstract act of reading could become a vital diagnostic and therapeutic window into the complex workings of the human mind.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: The Forces of the Imagination: Exploring dimensions of mental imagery using the ReaderBank Imagination Quiz (RIQ)
News Publication Date: 13-Aug-2025
Image Credits: Credit: Georgia Punton
Keywords: Psychological science, Cognitive psychology, Neuropsychology, Personality psychology, Cognitive disorders, Mental images
